Undeniable
by Frostic Queen
Summary: What happens when Ray gets a call from his lover about an unconscious boy out by the bridge? How will this boy change their lives? Can they help him through the trauma of his past? Little that they know, this child is more than he seems to be.
1. The Boy

Now I was debating with myself about whether or not to start this but here it is. Some OCs will be sneaking in at some point in later chapters.

Let the show begin.

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1

The Boy

It was a peaceful day in Japan, especially at a therapy ranch on the outskirts of town. A raven haired gold eyed male resided there. He was a counsellor for abused and traumatised children. He was a handsome fellow with his pointy ears, catlike eyes and very pronounced canines that often poked out from under his top lip. Currently no children were at the ranch as it was the man's day off. He was happily whistling a tune while hanging out the laundry, taking full advantage of the early afternoon sun. A knock at the main door was the only thing that could distract him from his chores. Visiting him was a handsome ginger haired male with beautiful green eyes, a dangly earring in both ears made of gold. He wore mainly white. "Brooklyn. How wonderful to see you." "I'm sorry to stop by unannounced, Ray, but I just had to come and see you. You've been quiet for a week." There was a hint of hurt in Brooklyn's voice, making the raven haired Ray feel guilty. "Yeah I'm sorry about that Brooke. I've been working a lot lately and my hours didn't leave me much time to call you. Come on in and I'll pop the kettle on. You just caught me putting the washing out to dry." Brooklyn happily stepped into Ray's home, sitting himself on a large beige fabric sofa, leaning into the big soft cushions. Ray wasn't gone long, returning with two cups of tea. Brooklyn wasted no time with words once Ray sat down, pulling the slender raven haired male into a passionate kiss that he couldn't refuse. How they longed to be together but Ray's profession denied them the desired full on relationship.

Ray had been having an on/off affair with Brooklyn for years shortly after they'd met in university. It had been love at first sight for them both. They would sneak away to somewhere quiet just to be alone together. But now that Ray worked with children he'd be frowned upon by his co-workers if they knew he was gay and having a very intimate affair with another man. Ray knew he should put his love life before his career but Brooklyn would never let him quit. He loved his job too much and had worked so very hard to get to where he stood now. Brooklyn worked to help save endangered animals though he never took part in activities that could see him harmed like a rally or March. He and Ray were both lovers of animals large and small. Ray even helped on occasion with Brooklyn's campaigns. He kept horses on the ranch with some cats and dogs, donkeys too. Sometimes he'd look after strays and find them loving homes. They were both valued members of the community and widely respected for their work. Neither of them were paying attention to the time as Brooklyn started removing Ray's clothes piece by piece and he did the same. Soon they were bare against the sofa, Brooklyn's wide frame under Ray's slightly thinner figure. Brooklyn whimpered a little as Ray prepared to bone him, locking the love drunk redhead in a kiss to stem his cries. First came pain, then pleasure and finally relief. For a moment after the bliss they lay kissing, making sure their lust was fully satisfied. Retreating from his defiled lover, Ray gathered his clothes and ventured to the bathroom, Brooklyn not far behind. Brooklyn succeeded in pinning Ray in the shower, repaying him for the love he'd given. After the second bout of body rush they could hardly breathe as the warm water washed away the ache that took precedence after their sins.

Once clean and having got his breath back, Ray returned to doing his chores, leaving Brooklyn on the sofa to drink his tea. Ray had another visitor just after midday. A strapping blue eyed blonde he recognised as a fellow therapist. "Hey Max. What brings you here?" The broad blonde smiled sweetly, sunlight really highlighting his freckled face. "I just thought I'd pay a visit Ray. Is this a bad time?" "No, not at all. I just finished cleaning up around the place." Ray stepped aside to let Max in and his blue eyes immediately found Brooklyn dozing on the sofa. They'd met a couple of times in the past and so far, Max remained oblivious to the intimacy between the redhead and his raven haired co-worker. "Somebody looks like he's working too hard again." Max's comment earned him a middle finger from Brooklyn until he stretched gladly. Before Max could respond to the insult Ray moved to take Brooklyn's cup. "I think it's time you went home and got some rest, Brooklyn." Ray said softly. Brooklyn's green eyes were pleading but Ray held firm. As far as Max was concerned, Ray and Brooklyn were very close friends. He knew Brooklyn's job was stressful and he visited Ray to unwind with help from the horses. Max sat down as Ray saw Brooklyn to the door. "Call me when you get home, kay? I worry about you." "I'll be fine Ray. Guess I'll see you again soon. I'll try to call before I appear next time." "All right Brooklyn. Go and rest." Max thought nothing of the hug he witnessed. Ray was a very huggable guy even to strangers who didn't know him. And Brooklyn often needed a lot of hugs. Ray didn't close the door until his lover's car was gone from sight. He wondered how long it would be before Max started to suspect something was going on between him and Brooklyn. With no further delays, Ray made Max a drink and one for himself. "Long morning Ray?" Max laughed gently. "Very long. Cleaning this place from top to bottom on my own isn't easy."

Ray's comment bribed a smile from the blonde before his face turned mildly serious. "Ray, I have to ask, for curiosity's sake; is there something going on between you and Brooklyn?" Ray's mouth went deathly dry even though he'd been sipping at his tea. His face drained of colour and Max noticed the clear difference. "I wouldn't think anything less of you Ray, honest. You're a great guy." Ray swallowed the liquid he'd been about to drink, hiding any hint of a lie in his eyes when he faced Max. "What makes you ask such a question Max?" The questioned blonde had to think. Why did he ask? Was he envious of Brooklyn? Worried for his friend even? "Well…it's just that every time I see you with him there's something different about you compared to when you're with other guys. I didn't mean to offend you, Ray." "Well at least you're honest with me. No Max. There's nothing more than friendship between me and Brooklyn. We're just very close." Max looked satisfied with Ray's lie and honestly, the raven haired therapist was relieved and thankful for being a very good liar, especially when it came to his relationship with Brooklyn. Once Max drank his tea Ray took him out to see the horses. Two Australian blue heeler dogs were happily running about in the fields, being mindful of the horses though the tall creatures were not easily spooked. Max left about an hour later, leaving Ray in peace. To drown out the silence Ray put the television on and sat down to read a book, hoping Brooklyn had gotten home okay. It wasn't like him to take over an hour to get to his apartment. 'Maybe he went to the park.' Ray thought to himself, turning the finished page of his fantasy novel. Worry began to eat at Ray when another hour drifted by.

Close to half past three Ray was just about to lose his last shred of sanity when his phone went off on the coffee table. Looking at the screen he saw Brooklyn's name, answering the call immediately. "Brooklyn where are you? It's been three hours since you left me." **"Ray, I don't know what to do!" **"Calm down and tell me what's going on. Are you at home?" Ray heard Brooklyn heaving for air on the other end of the line, trying to calm himself. **"I…I'm by the bridge going over the river. I was about to go home after taking a walk to clear my mind when I found this boy." **Ray's heart leapt into his mouth, bolting off the sofa. "Is he breathing?" Outside Ray was calm but on the inside he was panicking fearing for little boy Brooklyn spoke of. **"Yes, he's breathing. It looks like he's out cold though. What do I do Ray?" **"Well you can't leave him there." Ray paced for a few seconds, running a hand through his spiky hair. "Bring him to my place quickly." **"Shouldn't I get him to the hospital? What if his family is looking for him?" **"We'll get to that later. Bring the boy here now. I'll have a bed ready for your arrival." The line went dead and Ray sprang into action. He was upstairs in the blink of an eye and sorting the sheets of a child's bed. All Ray could think about was the boy Brooklyn found and how he could've wound up under that bridge. A panicked knock soon came to Ray's door and he ran to answer it. Brooklyn looked no better, hair a wild mess, cheeks streaked with tearstains. Without a word Ray led Brooklyn to the room he'd prepared. The boy was deathly thin and very pale, no older than five or six. He had dirty, matted dual coloured hair of grey and black. His clothes were very torn and Ray was surprised he wasn't naked with how shredded the garments were. Brooklyn stayed with the child as Ray went to fetch some stuff.

Ray worried when the boy did not flinch to the warm wet cloth meeting his icy cold forehead. He checked for a pulse and found a very weak one. Brooklyn could hardly stand the tension as Ray removed the torn shirt but what they saw shocked them. Upon the boy's chest were scars and cuts of varying sizes. Gently rolling the child over, Ray found more vicious injuries on his back. 'What the hell happened to this kid?' This question ran wild circles in Ray's mind as he cleaned and dressed the wounds. Next he checked the legs and they were no better than the upper body. One scar in particular caught Ray's attention, fetching one of many medical books he owned. "Ray?" "Who would be sick enough to put a child so young through an appendectomy? An unofficial one no less." "What?! Are you serious Ray?" "Dead serious Brooklyn. We've got an abused child on our hands. I'll get in touch with my boss and see what he advises. Stay with him in case he wakes up." Brooklyn nodded, tears welling up in his green eyes. It sickened him to know there were people out there willing to harm a poor innocent child like this boy. Ray hadn't been gone long when the boy began to wake. "Ray! He's waking up!" "I'll be right there Brooklyn!" Ray sounded mildly distracted, apparently on the phone to his boss when Brooklyn had called. Crimson eyes creaked open with painful slowness, Brooklyn being the first thing they saw. At first the boy was confused but fear soon took over. He sought to get away from Brooklyn, his tiny heart beating wildly. Ray arrived before Brooklyn could get close. "Brooklyn back off! I know you mean well but stand back. Let him adjust. My boss is on his way over now." Brooklyn knew Ray had not meant to sound harsh but his heart still broke. His lover was far too serious when it came to traumatised children.

Ray kept Brooklyn at a safe distance while the boy cowered in a corner. He couldn't tell whether the child's tears were borne from fear or pain. Ray sent Brooklyn to get the door when somebody could be heard knocking. With Brooklyn gone the child seemed to calm a little. "Hey, it's okay little one. I won't hurt you." Ray deemed it unwise to approach the boy given his current state. Brooklyn returned with a portly man who had white hair a bushy moustache, eyes a soft brown. "Ray what on Earth is happening?" "Mr. Dickenson. I'm sorry to call you from your office so suddenly." "You mentioned a boy over the phone. Is this him?" "Yes. He's not long woken up and is understandably very frightened. I know he should be at the hospital but when Brooklyn told me the boy was out cold I panicked. What if the hospital was too far away?" Ray calmed when Mr. Dickenson set a chubby hand on his tense shoulder. "Calm down Ray. I agree that the hospital would've been more suitable but your judgement has yet to lead you astray. What's the situation?" Ray took a few deep breaths to calm himself before answering, glancing briefly to the frightened child. "Well sir he's covered from head to toe in cuts and scars. It appears whoever harmed him removed his appendix themselves. I can't imagine the pain he must've gone through. Given how visible his bones are, this boy is undernourished." Mr. Dickenson sighed softly, looking to the cowering boy in the corner of the room. "You should take him to the hospital. I'll contact the police and see if they can't find his parents. Until then I want the boy to stay with you, Ray." "Understood sir. Come on, Brooklyn. You're coming with us." Brooklyn had no objections, staying with the boy while Ray let his boss out. He crouched down near the enigmatic child, keeping a small smile on his face.

Ray came back to find Brooklyn slowly reaching out to the child. He had to admit, Brooklyn was a fast learner. Ray observed the boy's behaviour. Of course he tried to shy away but the wall prevented escape. An idea suddenly popped into Ray's head, making his way to the back yard. He came back with one of the shepherd dogs on a leash. "Brooklyn, stand back. Let Zookie through." Brooklyn did as he was told, moving back to a suitable distance. At first the boy was scared of the dog as she sat beside him licking his mucky face, a paw on his knee. After a minute or two he reached out to pet Zookie. Ray craftily tugged on the leash, pulling Zookie toward him slowly so not to alert the boy. By the time Ray's plan came to light, he'd scooped the child into his arms with gentle grace Brooklyn had become accustomed to. Instead of cowering the boy fought to be put down, beating on Ray's chest with whatever strength he had, screaming in a foreign language. It was times like these that Ray was glad he lived outside of town. Ray gently set the boy in the back of his car and Zookie hopped in next to him. So that the boy wouldn't feel too threatened, Brooklyn followed after Ray in his car. Once at the hospital, Ray had to decide how he'd get the boy out of the car. No doubt he'd already be wise to his tricks with Zookie. The loyal dog played her part in keeping the boy distracted while Ray snuck up behind him. Brooklyn went on ahead to fetch a doctor. Once again the boy found out too late that Ray was behind him. Taking the child inside drew a lot of attention. Thankfully Brooklyn had found a doctor that spoke the same language as the wounded kid but this only served to scare him more. Ray and Brooklyn were forced to sit in the waiting while the doctor worked to find out how severely the boy was injured. Mr. Dickenson arrived some twenty minutes later with a police officer.

Surprisingly the doctor was only gone three quarters of an hour, returning covered in bruises and scratches. Ray and Brooklyn were out of their seats faster than lightning. Mr. Dickenson was a little less hasty. "How is he Doc?" "Well Mr. Kon, the boy is very malnourished as I'm sure you could see. I found a few broken bones, mainly ribs and fingers. Where did you find him?" Brooklyn opened his mouth to speak but Ray beat him to it. "Well doctor, Brooklyn found him near the bridge that goes over the river. The boy was out cold but we don't know how long for. What about the appendectomy scar? It doesn't look like it was done at a hospital." The doctor sighed softly, wishing there was some easier way to explain the situation. "Judging by the shade of the scar, his appendix was removed almost three years ago. I'm amazed that he's even alive. We ran some tests and there's no internal bleeding or risk of pneumonia. I advise plenty of bed rest, feed him soft foods or soup." "Did you find out his name?" The doctor shook his head wearily, dashing all hope Ray had. Before he and Brooklyn could see the boy, the police officer had to get the information they needed. With them gone ten minutes later, Ray and Brooklyn were taken to see the boy. His skin was much cleaner, wrapped in fresh white bandages. Currently the boy was sleeping, heavy bags visible under the softly closed lids. "The poor thing." Brooklyn sighed from Ray's side. "Don't worry Brooklyn. He'll be okay." Mr. Dickenson watched with no suspicion as Brooklyn gripped Ray's hand. Ray squeezed back before sitting next to the bed. He gently took the bandaged hand but his touch was enough to rouse the child. If he was in pain, Ray couldn't tell. There was no life visible in the deep crimson pits. Only fear. "Hey. I'm sorry I tricked you with Zookie. She's a good girl."

Ray was very surprised by how calm the boy was about his hand being held. No matter how hard he tried, Ray could not obtain eye contact. "I know you're scared and I don't blame you. Waking up in a strange house with somebody unknown looking down at you. It's a scary thing for all of us." This time Ray got a response in the form of a glare. "I know you can't understand a single word I'm saying, kid. But I want to help you." Ray bolted back when the boy spat at him. He'd be hard to treat, Ray knew that much. "Ray?" "It's fine, Brooklyn. I'm used to this behaviour. Come on, let him rest. He'll need some clothes for his stay with me. Can't have the poor thing walking around in nothing but his skin." Before Ray and Brooklyn could go shopping, Zookie had to be taken home. To save Ray some petrol, Brooklyn drove them to the shopping mall. Being in public meant Brooklyn had to watch where he put his hands. An hour later they left the mall laden with bags. By the time Ray and Brooklyn returned to the hospital, their little John Doe was out of bed on shaky legs. "Hey little man. You're looking better already." Said boy glared at Brooklyn as he got closer. When the child lashed out it was decided that nurses should attempt to dress him. And they succeeded. One even had the cheek to accuse Ray and Brooklyn of harming the boy. Ray was used to such accusations but Brooklyn wasn't and he almost belted the nurse there and then. With the boy dressed it was time to get him to his temporary home with Ray. Once there he was tucked straight into bed and given some chicken soup. Ray had a hard time convincing Brooklyn to go home after everything that had happened but he succeeded eventually. At around nine pm Ray checked on the boy to find he was fast asleep in bed, the bowl empty. 'I'll take care of you, I promise. Nobody will hurt you here.'

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And that's chapter one. I'm sorry it's such a short chapter but i was working with limited motivation. Next chapter you'll meet some of the children Ray works with.


	2. Meeting the Others

Okay here's chapter 2. A BIG thank you to Solitary Reaper, Superrbia and Kiscia for reviewing. More characters come in here with few OCs (one I've never used before in my stories.)

Onwards!

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2

Meeting the Others

The next morning Ray woke up feeling refreshed after a good night's sleep. Today some of the kids he worked with would be visiting for their therapy sessions. Ray worried the new boy wouldn't get on with the other children considering he spoke no English. Before dealing with the nameless child Ray went for a shower like he did every morning. Once clean Ray got dressed in his finest oriental style clothes. His Chinese shirt was white with yellow fastenings and lining, trousers black and very baggy with a red sash keeping them in place around Ray's waist. Onto his feet Ray slipped on a pair of black plimsolls for ease of use. Next Ray tied his hair back into a white wrap with two red beads to fasten the binding. Lastly, Ray put on a YinYang bandana. Stepping into the room opposite his, Ray saw no sign of the boy. He went straight into panic mode, almost tripping down the stairs. Before Ray could dial Brooklyn's number however he found the child fast asleep by the front door. 'Looks like he tried to get out. I'd best put him back to bed before he wakes up.' Ray put his thoughts into motion with care not to press on any of the boy's broken ribs. He mumbled a little but stayed sleeping as Ray carried him upstairs. The cold sheets brought the youngster back to life, crimson eyes opening to see Ray smiling down at him. Bolting in fright seemed to aggravate his busted up ribcage. "Good morning. There's bad of you, trying to go out after hours. It's dangerous out there." Once again Ray received a rather venomous glare from the child in response. Ray took the risk of leaving the room to make some breakfast for him and the boy.

He returned to the room with some porridge to find his foreign patient was once again not in his bed. "All right, where'd you run off to this time?" Setting the bowl down Ray checked everywhere in the room, including under the bed. Downstairs, the boy had found Ray's house keys and was trying to find the one that fit in the front door. Upon opening the door he found Brooklyn with his hand raised to ring the doorbell. Ray could be heard coming down the stairs when the boy screamed and tried to make a run for it but Brooklyn caught him. Setting the boy on the sofa Brooklyn received a clout to the face but not from Ray. It came from the petrified child he'd just carried. Ray arrived to see a teary Brooklyn on the floor while little John Doe was staggering back toward the front door. Sadly Ray cut off his escape, locking the door and pocketing the keys. "Brooklyn what happened?" "Ray I. I was just about to knock on the door when I heard the lock turning. When the door opened I saw him standing there wide eyed. He tried to run but my instinct took over. I carried him here to the sofa and he…he clouted me." Ray wanted to believe he was hearing things but Brooklyn was not one for lying, especially not to him. He grudgingly left Brooklyn to get over the shock of being bollocked to feed the little monster whose second failed attempt at escaping left him feeling miserable. The boy was stubborn about being spoon fed by a stranger but with some persistence from Ray, he cleaned the bowl. Tucking the escapee tightly into bed this time, Ray went to check on Brooklyn. His green eyed lover was now sitting on the sofa, head drooped low. "Come on Brooke. You knew he wouldn't trust us right off the bat. Give him time to observes us." Ray heaved a gentle sigh when Brooklyn started weeping into his abdomen, clinging to him tightly.

Just before midday the first couple of kids arrived with Max. They weren't much older than the rescued boy. Both were boys, one with silverish blue hair and other had black dreadlocks, his skin brown. The blue haired boy had grey eyes. Brooklyn was the one to greet them. "Hey Max." "Morning Brooklyn. I wasn't expecting to see you today. Is Ray home?" "Yeah he's out back. Come on through." Out in the yard Ray was tending to the horses, the boy tied up nearby so he couldn't try to escape again. "Yo Ray! Claude and Aaron are here!" Ray turned around with a smile and headed over to the two boys. Max noticed the nameless child quickly. "Hey who's the new guy?" "We don't know his name yet, Max. Brooklyn found him unconscious by the bridge yesterday evening. He speaks no English and has been violently abused. Twice he's tried to escape." "Twice? What about his parents?" "The police are doing what they can. We think he must've somehow stowed aboard a ship to get here. Until his parents are either found alive or confirmed dead he's staying with me." Looking at the child, Max pitied him. He sat on a chair not far away to observe how Ray handled the boys. It was unusual to use Horse Whispering as a therapeutic method but it definitely seemed to work. Ray had been working with Claude and Aaron for a couple of months now. They spent most of their time with the horses and other animals before Ray actively approached them about their fears or traumas. Max diverted his attention from Ray when he heard grunts of effort down at his side. He smiled with a slight laugh at seeing John Doe trying to crawl away. "Where do you think you're going little man?" "I wouldn't pick him up if I were you, Max." Said blonde looked at Brooklyn, only now seeing the massive red mark on his cheek. "What happened to your face?" "He happened." Brooklyn gestured to the child who glared hatefully at him.

At half twelve, while the other boys had their dinner, Brooklyn was tending to one of the mares on the ranch. She was a beautiful creature with a coat of pale gold, her mane and tail Silver. Her belly was very round and large, signifying she was with foal. Brooklyn had known the mare since she was a foal having rescued her from an abusive owner. Ray had been happy to take her in, spending long hours with the palomino to soothe her fears. Soon she noticed the nameless child once again trying his best to wriggle away. Brooklyn was confused when she tried to get out of the paddock. "What is it Shelinda?" Looking into Shelinda's brown eyes, Brooklyn knew what she wanted, opening the gate. Ray reappeared in time to see the horse plodding over to his live-in patient. First the boy froze in fear as he was nudged gently by Shelinda. He calmed when she set her heavy body down, head in his lap. Shelinda had always had a way with children that Ray could not understand or compete with. It made Ray's day to see the child meekly petting his prized mare. Brooklyn sat himself next to Shelinda and carefully leaned against her broad, strong shoulder. "I'd be careful, Brooklyn." "Why Ray? Is she sick?" "Haven't you noticed the bulk of her stomach?" Brooklyn looked to said area of Shelinda, noticing she was very fat. The soon to be mother flinched a little when Brooklyn hugged her neck, tears in his eyes. "I can't believe it. My baby girl is gonna be a mama." The boy watched bewildered as Shelinda gave Brooklyn a hug in return to comfort him. He understood nothing of friendship, this was clear enough for anyone to see. Ray wondered if he should introduce Claude and Aaron to him, but would he react kindly? 'I'll just have to risk it.' His mind made up, Ray went back inside.

Once Claude and Aaron had finished their dinner, Ray took them to meet his newest charge. They were nervous of him at first, especially Aaron as he'd been bullied by other children, not just his family. Claude was a touch bolder, extending his hand to the unnamed enigma. The offer was examined quite carefully but went unaccepted as the boy backed away the best he could. His reaction seemed to upset Claude so Ray moved to console him. "It's all right, Claude. Give him time." "Where'd he come from Mr. Ray?" "That's what we're trying to find out little buddy. It's almost time for you and Aaron to go now." "Can I ride on Shelinda today?" Ray tensed. He didn't want to put the pregnant mare through too much strain. Before granting Claude's request Ray consulted Shelinda without words. Ray's ability to connect with animals had always amazed the people around him. It wasn't long before Ray had an answer, returning to Claude and wordlessly picked him up, setting the boy carefully on Shelinda's back. "Now hold onto her mane and don't let go. You can only have a small ride today. Shelinda's feeling quite tired." "Okay." Max always worried about the children riding bareback with no rein but Shelinda was very careful. She wasn't too old but already very wise. Aaron watched as Shelinda walked slowly in a wide circle, the dip and rise of her head with each step giving off a soothing rhythm. She came to a stop next to Ray, being mindful of his toes. Once Claude's feet were on the ground Shelinda moved over to Aaron, knowing he wanted a ride too. "Are you sure Shelly? You shouldn't push yourself. I can wait until next time." Shelinda was adamant she give Aaron a ride, Ray could tell. Aaron, being somewhat overweight, was too heavy for Ray to lift so Max hauled the coloured boy onto Shelinda's back. Again she walked in a wide circle, glancing back at Aaron occasionally.

The worn down mare was determined to see the boys off, attempting to follow them into the house. Ray understood that Shelinda had adopted a motherly outlook when it came to the children. They were like her babies now. In a way, Ray felt the same way with the kids but he couldn't get attached to them. Making sure Shelinda's hooves were clean of any wet mud, Ray led her through the halls and living room. She only just squeezed through the doors. Both Claude and Aaron were touched by Shelinda's devotion, hugging her shimmering neck. Ray was glad that Shelinda still had many good years of life left in her. It would be hard for all the kids to let her go. Max was able to pry the boys from Shelinda, knowing the horse needed to rest. Once Max's car was out of sight, Shelinda willingly went back to the paddock. Ray worried when he couldn't see Brooklyn or the nameless child but calmed upon finding them both in the kitchen. "How on Earth did you get him in here unscathed?" "A little trick called Zookie." Said dog was next to the chair on which the boy sat. Ray would hate to admit it, but Brooklyn was quite a schemer sometimes. Brooklyn managed to pin Ray for a quick smooch in the living room while the boy had his dinner. Sadly they were interrupted by a knock at the door. Outside Ray found another fellow therapist. It was a man with long dark blue hair and big brown eyes. At his feet were two girls, both with brown skin. The tallest, aged about six had plum purple hair reaching her bottom and green eyes. The shorter girl had shoulder length lavender hair and the same colour eyes. She was no older than four. "Hey Tyson." Ray greeted. "I wasn't expecting you so early." "Yeah well, there's some tension with Syldra and Cryska's parents so I had to get 'em outta there early. It's not a bad time is it?" "No, not at all. Come on in."

Tyson had never really liked Brooklyn and seeing him on the sofa set his blood boiling. Ray couldn't see what there was to hate about Brooklyn. He was a nice guy and had never hurt another person. Ray put the matter out of his mind, leading the sisters to the yard. Tyson wasn't far behind so Brooklyn went to check on the boy. He found him on the floor cuddling Zookie. "Good girl, Zookie. Come on, let's go outside." Brooklyn wished he hadn't been so hasty when he noticed a black colt heading his way, climbing up onto a trellis on the wall. Ray wasn't far behind the horse, a lasso in hand. "What's your problem punk?!" The colt bucked, in a state of rage that Ray didn't like seeing. He managed to drag the beast away so Brooklyn could put his feet back on the ground. Zeus was his name though many times Brooklyn had called him Hades. "Honestly Ray, why is he still here? You know that beast is unstable." "Says the one who rescued him." "I had no choice. Even then he hated me." Nobody knew what Zeus's problem was. He'd always been violent to anybody who wasn't Ray. A lot of people had suggested putting the colt down but Ray was convinced that Zeus could be helped. Ray worried when Zookie approached Zeus with the boy in tow. The most amazing thing happened. Zeus had never been used as a therapy horse due to his nature but he took to the nameless boy straight away, lying down beside him. Ray couldn't believe what he was seeing. Zeus stuck by the child whenever he moved away. 'How strange. This isn't like Zeus at all.' There was no logical explanation for Zeus's behaviour. It had always bothered Ray that Zeus's eyes were a shade of crimson rather than brown, his mane a hue of grey. Then Ray realised something. 'Maybe Zeus can help us get through to the kid. There's something off about his behaviour and I intend to find out what.'

For now Ray left the boy with Zeus, his attention on the girls. They were by another one of his horses. A stunning white stallion with a black mane and tail. His pearly coat reflected light like a mirror. From Zeus's side the boy watched curiously, as if he'd never seen a girl before. His eyes were primarily on the taller, darker haired girl. He'd look away however when she turned around to face him. "Mr. Ray." Said the taller girl. "Who is that boy?" Ray crouched beside the little girl, being careful about touching her. "Well Syldra, he just arrived yesterday. Brooklyn found him yesterday evening." "How long is he here for?" "I can't say. The police are trying to find his parents as I speak. Until then he's staying here." Hearing the boy was lost caused Syldra some pain, walking over to where he sat. First the boy backed away out of fear. But when Syldra touched his hand, all the panic he felt went away. There was a feeling of calmness in Syldra's touch that the boy wasn't familiar with yet it didn't scare him. Ray hadn't known Syldra long, only a couple of weeks but he already knew that her presence seemed to calm other children that he treated. Ray often thought it was because the kids had all been through similar things. What happened next shocked Ray, Brooklyn and Tyson. Syldra pulled the nameless boy into her arms. Shock was evident on his face. He had no idea how to react to the embrace. His little heart raced wildly when Syldra ran her hands through his hair to try and calm him. After a minute or two he hugged back, hiding his face in the crook of Syldra's neck. Ray had seen this behaviour a few times in the past. It was a sign the boy missed his mother. Had he witnessed her death? No matter how hard Ray tried, he couldn't push those grim thoughts out of his mind. Coming back to the present Ray noticed the boy was now crying into Syldra's shoulder.

In no time the lost child had cried himself to sleep so Brooklyn took him up to bed. Ray didn't like the look on Tyson's face as he watched the redhead walking away with a vulnerable child so he got the girls sat down in the kitchen with some pie to confront his co-worker in the living room. "The hell is your problem Tyson?" "How can you be sure Brooklyn isn't the one who battered that child? What if he's one of those child slaves?" "That's absurd and you know it! Brooklyn would rather commit suicide than cause physical harm to an innocent little boy." "Then how do you explain him showing up whenever you've got kids here? What's your excuse now Ray?" "Brooklyn does not come here to prey on my patients. In case you've forgotten, Tyson, most of the animals on my ranch were rescued by Brooklyn so he has to come by and check on them to make sure they're doing okay. Don't think I haven't noticed how shy the girls are of you Tyson. Threaten me like that again and I'll have you fired." Ray's threat bribed a growl from the slightly taller male. Brooklyn walked into the room just as Ray took a punch to the face. "Ray! Get your hands off of him!" Ray stumbled back after taking a second right hook to the chin. By then Brooklyn had closed in on Tyson and whacked him back. As luck would have it Mr. Dickenson arrived, immediately noticing the massive bruise on Ray's lower jaw. "Ray what's going on?" "Well sir it seems Tyson has shown his true colours. I tried to deal with his assumptions calmly but he lashed out at me." "What assumptions?" Ray would've answered if Tyson hadn't interrupted, pointing an accusing finger at Brooklyn. "This bastard is nothing but a pervert and Ray openly allows him near the children he treats!" Ray had to restrain Brooklyn before he gave Tyson another black eye. "I fail to see your point, Tyson. Brooklyn has never harmed any of the children here."

The bluenette couldn't believe his ears. The chairman of the child therapist institute was defending Brooklyn! "But Mr.D!" "No buts Tyson. I know Brooklyn would never harm a child because I personally worked with him when there were some problems with his father. He knows what these youngsters have been through. If anything, Brooklyn wants to help them like he does animals." Tyson ground his teeth together and stormed out of the building. With the bluenette gone, Ray allowed himself to collapse onto the sofa half conscious. Brooklyn went straight into panic mode, finding the nearest first aid kit. Ray passed out shortly after Mr. Dickenson told him Tyson would be replaced within the hour and fired. He came to an hour later to see a beautiful young woman on the opposite sofa. She had wavy scarlet red hair that owned natural black highlights and leaf green eyes. The woman was very curvy and had quite large breasts. "Good evening, Mr. Kon." "Evening? How long was I out?" "An hour at best. You scared the hell outta me Ray." Looking up Ray's gold eyes met with Brooklyn's worried green, realising he was on mentioned man's lap. The woman didn't seem to care. "The girls…" "They're fine. Our little John Doe is keeping them company. Or rather it's the opposite way around. He doesn't seem to mind much since they're not boys." "I figured as much after the way he reacted to Claude. So Ms, what's your name?" The woman smiled sweetly, her eyes closed. "I'm Nadine Tinsdale. I've been assigned to Syldra and Cryska's case. Mr. Dickenson explained what happened with the last fellow." "Well that's one burden gone at least. Would you like a cup of tea, Ms. Tinsdale?" "I'd love one, thank you. And please, call me Nadine." Brooklyn stuck by Ray as he staggered around the kitchen, clearly still reeling from the fight with Tyson.

A couple of days went by and there was no sign of John Doe's family. Nadine was a regular visitor to the ranch, often with the girls in tow. The swelling of Ray's face had gone down quite a bit. Step by step he was earning the boy's trust, teaching him a little bit of English each day. The morning of Ray's fifth day with the nameless boy began with bathing the wounded child. His ribs and fingers had almost completely healed thanks to Ray's traditional Chinese herbal remedies designed for physical healing. Brooklyn wouldn't be coming today as he had important work to do. As much as Ray loved Brooklyn, seeing him every day was a bit of a nuisance. Cleaning the boy was a mild challenge but he was primarily calm about Ray being super close to him. Once clean, Ray lifted the boy he was beginning to see as a son, out of the bath and wrapped him in a fresh fluffy white towel. Some of his wounds still required bandages despite Ray's best efforts to help them heal faster. The boy would flinch every now and then when Ray's hands brushed his skin but he did not strike out. By eight thirty in the morning both Ray and the boy were dressed for the day's events. Breakfast was eventless other than the boy attempting to read and pronounce the words on the cereal box. Ray had noticed the boy's crimson eyes were a little puffy, worrying he might be coming down with a cold. But the truth was, he'd been crying in the dark of night, pining for his mother. "So little man." Ray started, catching the child's attention. "I think it's high time you told me your name. I can't keep calling you kid or boy all the time. It makes me feel bad." The boy looked at Ray, confused. His grasp on the English language was vague but one word he'd become familiar with was name. Ray figured he'd need help from somebody who spoke the kid's language, immediately thinking of the doctor.

After breakfast, Ray and John Doe went out. Their first stop was the hospital to see the doctor who'd treated him the day he'd been found. The man was very happy to see him recovering well. "How can I help you today Mr. Kon?" "Well doctor it's been five days now and the little rascal hasn't picked up the English language as fast as I'd like." "You're after his name aren't you?" "Why wouldn't I be Doc? It'll be easier for me to communicate with him and maybe help us find his family faster. And besides. He's got a couple of fan girls." The doctor smiled, his eyes on the crimson eyed enigma. "Well then, let's get started. Why don't you both come to my office?" To Ray's surprise, the boy grabbed his hand as tight as he possibly could, fear in his crimson orbs. The doctor's office was quite plain, very few pictures on the walls. One photo on the desk caught John Doe's attention however and the doctor noticed. "That's the Kremlin in Moscow. In the photo over there you'll see the old palace and Red Square." "So you're native to Russia, doctor?" "Born and bred, Mr. Kon. I was born in Leningrad but grew up in Moscow when my parents divorced. Your little John Doe here recognizes these places so I'm willing to bet he's from Moscow as well." Said boy sat fearfully opposite the doctor as the medical expert wrote something on a sheet of paper, passing it to him once he was done. He read every letter very carefully before picking up the pen nearby. The doctor gently pulled the paper away once the boy had finished writing. "Well doctor?" "You finally got through to him, Mr. Kon. His name is Kai. Odd for a Russian boy to have a Japanese name. Very unusual." "Maybe his mother was Japanese?" "It's possible. He's got the eyes. Now if there's nothing else, I must be getting back to my patients." "Thank you doctor. Come on, Kai." The once nameless boy looked up and stood from his seat.

Ray spent a good couple of hours shopping with Kai. He had to stock up on food and other necessities for daily life. After lunch they went to the park, finding Nadine there with Syldra and Cryska. "Mr. Kon. What a lovely surprise to see you both outside." "Well Nadine it's because I have some good news for the girls. Little John Doe here is no longer nameless. His name's Kai." "A handsome name for a handsome little boy. So how'd you find out?" "The doctor who treated Kai the day Brooklyn found him speaks the same language as my little devil here. I'm astonished he's taken to me so quickly. We'll be stopping by the precinct later to let the police know of the progress. How have the girls been?" Nadine looked to said sisters who were playing at the swings quite happily. "I must say I'm worried for them. While having a little chat with Cryska, the youngest, I found out that their previous "therapist" had been beating them about when they refused to get into his car to go to your place. Not because they're afraid of you, but they didn't like him." "I'd never thought Tyson would be capable of such a thing. I've worked with him a long time and he'd always seemed so gentle with the girls. But I had noticed how shy they were of him, Cryska especially. Hearing what you've discovered makes me mad at myself for not checking up on the signs." Nadine set a hand on Ray's shoulder, smiling sweetly. "It's not your fault, Ray. It could've been anything that had spooked them. Things aren't improving with their parents. I'm worried Ray. That their father is going to do more than just hit them." "Sadly we can't always act on instinct, Nadine. You could have words with the boss about it but I doubt there's anything he can do without evidence to support your worry. I too feel insecure about sending the girls home. I've never met their father so I don't know how violent he is.

A scream nearby drew Ray and Nadine's attention. Cryska had been separated from Syldra by a group of bigger boys who sought to cause them both harm. Kai too saw the danger, running as fast as his legs could carry him and slammed whatever weight he had into the biggest boy. Ray was hot on Kai's heels before the bullies could respond to his entry. Nadine ran to shield Cryska from harm. Syldra was so relieved to see Kai that she grabbed his scarred arm tightly as she cried bitter tears. "Are you okay Syldra?" Questioned girl nodded to Ray who led her to the nearest bench. Once seated Kai gripped at his ribs, hissing in pain. "Kai what's wrong? Here let me look at your ribs." Regardless of the throbbing pain pounding in his chest, Kai shed not a single tear. Ray spied blood seeping through the bandages around Kai's chest, a sign he'd broken one of his fragile rib bones. "Is he gonna be all right Ray?" "It's not too serious, Nadine. Just a rib cracking is all. I'd best get Kai home and patch him up." "Would you like us to come with?" "Normally I wouldn't allow it outside of treatment hours but I'm willing to make an exception this time. Come on girls." Syldra and Cryska stuck to Nadine's heels as they walked to Ray's car. Sitting all three kids in the back, Nadine hopped into the front passenger seat next to Ray. Syldra had a grip of Kai's hand all the way there and didn't want to let go when Ray took him to his room. Nadine managed to pry Syldra away so Ray could do his job. It didn't take him long to replace the bandages. Just as Ray was about to walk out the door he heard Kai stuttering to say something. "What is it Kai?" "S-S-" "Kai?" "Syl-dra." Ray blinked, unable to shake the shock of what Kai had just said. "Kai, what did you just say? Can you say it again? Clearly this time." Kai took a few breaths to ease his pain before speaking again. "Syldra."

Ray bolted out of the room faster than Kai could blink. Syldra almost shrieked when Ray took hold of her hands. Nadine was dumbfounded by Ray's behaviour. It was to her understanding that Ray never physically touched the girls he worked with, but here he was grasping Syldra's shaking hands. "Ray what's going on?" "You'll never believe what just happened. Kai just spoke his first English word." "But what does that have to do with Syldra?" "Can you guess Syldra?" "W-what?" "The reason I came straight to you, Syldra, is because Kai's first word of English was your name. He asked for you specifically." Releasing Syldra's hands, Ray located his phone to call Brooklyn and give him the good news. Syldra wasn't sure how to take the revelation, looking to Nadine. "Well go to him. The man asked for you so don't keep him waiting. You know where Kai's room is." Syldra did as she was told, walking up the stairs only to find Kai was attempting to drag himself out of bed. "No Kai, you must rest." Said boy flinched as Syldra pushed him back onto the mattress, covering his thin frame with the sheets as best she could. Yet he was happy to see the green eyed girl. She was always on his mind when awake. "Syldra." "I…I guess I should thank you, Kai. For stepping in when you did. It was very brave." Kai smiled, feeling Syldra's hand slipping into his. "But promise me you'll never do it again, Kai. I don't want to see you get hurt because I'm too weak to protect myself." Ray returned in time to see Syldra finally letting her tears free into Kai's shoulder. Kai however was confused by this behaviour. He'd never been in this kind of situation before so how was he supposed to react? Ray provided the answer by putting Kai's arms around Syldra's back. "Syldra…sad?" "No Kai, she's just worried for you. I am too. What you did was brave but reckless. Neither of us wants to see you get hurt."

Nadine and the girls stayed for an hour more before it was time for the sisters to go home. The biggest difference was that Syldra hugged Ray as well as Kai. It was clear the day's events had impacted the girl in more ways than one. Since it had been Syldra to initiate the embrace Nadine allowed it. "I'll see you girls in a couple of days. Don't worry about Kai. He's not going anywhere." "Have a nice evening Ray." "You too Nadine." As he watched Syldra leaving, Kai felt like a piece of him went with her. He came back to life when Ray touched his back. "Now let's get something to eat lil' man. You must be starving after showing that bully who's boss." Although Kai still couldn't understand a word Ray said he smiled and followed him to the kitchen. They ate supper in silence and spent the remainder of the evening watching television. At around ten pm Kai was out for the count so Ray took him up to bed. As he looked down at the sleeping boy, Ray had to wonder just how long it would take for the authorities to find Kai's family or if he'd been orphaned before arriving in Japan. Ray went to bed himself an hour later, knowing Claude and Aaron would be back for more therapy tomorrow. Little that Ray knew, Kai's dreams were filled with nightmares about the mother he'd lost. Her face was almost lost to him now. Kai stayed awake after that, unable to sleep with the horrors that haunted him. Outside a storm was blowing wildly out of control. The noise woke Ray around two a.m. so he went to check on the horses. They seemed unaffected by the howling winds so he went back to bed, not thinking to check on Kai before clambering under the still warm sheets. Hours later the rays of day started to peek over the horizon and through Ray's window. By the time he was dressed, Kai was dead to the world, his eyes heavy with black bags.

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So can anyone guess what I've done with Zeus and his behaviour towards Kai? Chapter 3 coming soon!


	3. Come Home, Ray!

My sincerest apologies for the delay! This has been, for me, an emotionally draining chapter which is why it took more than two days to finish and upload. Make sure you have some tissues nearby just in case

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3

Come Home, Ray!

Ray allowed Kai to sleep in so he could tidy the kitchen up a bit. Just as he sat down his phone vibrated on the table. As Ray expected, it was Brooklyn calling him, but why so early in the morning? "Morning Brooklyn. It's not like you to call so early." **"Sorry Ray. I just called to let you know I have a few ponies in need of a new home. Poor little blighters were being neglected. Think you have space for them?" **"Yeah I still have plenty of room. It'll be great to have other horses for the kids to ride on. Drop me a message before you get here." **"How's Kai?" **"Still in bed. He snapped a rib yesterday protecting Syldra from some bullies. He'll be okay. Anyway, I gotta go. Max will be here soon with Claude and Aaron. See you in a bit love." It wasn't often Ray used such words when speaking with Brooklyn, usually because other people were around. He knew how happy it made his red haired lover, wishing they could have more time to utter those words. Ray spent half an hour preparing some stalls in the stable for the new ponies, wondering just how neglected they were. Ray was so busy he didn't hear Kai coming up behind him. He jumped half a mile when the crimson eyed boy pulled on his sash, yowling like cat whose tail had just been stepped on. "Crikey Kai! Don't sneak up on me like that. How long have you been out of bed?" Having seen Ray's reaction, Kai was a little nervous of him but he eventually latched onto his oriental guardian. 'Don't get too attached to him.' Ray thought to himself. It was his number one rule to never get attached to his patients.

Before Max arrived with the boys, Ray made an attempt to teach Kai the alphabet with picture cards. They got up to H when the doorbell chimed. As predicted, Max was outside with Claude and Aaron. "Hey guys. Come on in and I'll get you a drink before we start today's session. Brooklyn will be over later with some ponies." "How's the boy? Any luck finding his parents?" Ray shook his head to Max's question, feeling a telltale tug on his trousers. "None yet but we're hoping. I was able to squeeze a name out of him yesterday." "Oh? That's fantastic Ray. I can see the little guy is attached to you already." Said boy was looking up at Max with frightened eyes. Ray smiled and ruffled Kai's hair gently. "It's all right Kai. You've met Max before." "That's an odd name." "Yeah. Especially for a kid born in Russia." "Crikey that's a fair distance away. He's a tough little guy for making it here, that's for sure. Has Shelinda given birth yet?" "No not yet but she's close. Give it a week or two and I'll have a foal under my feet." Max smiled sweetly, leading the boys inside while Ray went into the kitchen. All the while, Ray couldn't shake the feeling that trouble was on its way in the most unlikely and unexpected form. It was a warm day so instead of his usual trousers Ray changed into a pair of dark blue shorts. Shelinda was happy as ever to see the children, dipping her head over the fence to let them pet her. Kai waited until Claude and Aaron moved away though, not yet comfortable with them around. Max watched quietly from his usual chair as Claude and Aaron spent time with the white stallion. Ray on the other hand was preparing the area he used to train new horses, a circle trampled into the ground due to being walked on so much. Shortly after midday Brooklyn arrived with a large trailer attached to his car. The kids were wide eyed at seeing five Shetland ponies of varying colours.

Max kept the kids back as Ray and Brooklyn walked the ponies around a little. Kai's eyes were glued to a dapple grey filly whose mane and tail were creamy white. She was thin but had enough energy to half drag Ray around the ring. "Easy girl. I ain't gonna hurt ya." The pony was having none of Ray's soothing, bolting away seconds after he'd attached a long leather rope to the bridle so she didn't get too far, easing her into walking in a large circle. Kai was mesmerized by the art of taming horses, wanting to get in there and try it himself. "Hey Ray, I think you've got a budding apprentice here." Kai went incredibly pale as Max pointed at him, making the others laugh. Tying the rope to the fence, Ray opened the gate to let Kai in. "Don't worry little buddy. She won't hurt you. Now I'm gonna give you the leash so don't let go." Kai's nerves were on fire when the pony looked at him. With a gentle pull of the leash she started walking again. Seeing as the pony was so calm Ray wanted to try something, halting her steps. "Okay now she's used to us we should be able to get in close." Kai swallowed thickly, sticking to Ray's heels as they approached the once panicked filly. Brooklyn tensed when the horse bolted. The last thing he wanted was for Ray or Kai to get hurt. "Easy now. Come about. There's a good girl." This time Ray was able to get the pony within touching range, running his fingers through her mane. Time stood completely still as Kai reached out a hand to pet the pony. She didn't move an inch, allowing his hand to glide over her neck. It pleased Ray and Brooklyn to see the pair bonding. While Kai had the Shetland busy, Ray fetched a saddle and set it upon her back. Then he looped the leather leash around the back of her neck to make a rein. "Okay Kai, up you go. I'm too heavy for the poor thing in her current state."

Before Kai could object he was in the saddle tightly gripping the rein. The pony flinched a little but she did not rear up. Ray led her around the paddock to help Kai relax. After three circles Ray let go of the rein to see what Kai would do as his mount continued moving. Surprisingly the Russian boy was at ease in the saddle, his eyes no longer portraying fear. "There ya go. Nothing to it Kai, you're a natural. Okay Odin, time for you to get some exercise old boy." Ray fitted the white stallion with all the necessary riding gear and hauled himself into the saddle. Thankfully Kai's mount didn't freak out when the much bigger horse approached her. Instead she fell in beside him as he sped up a notch into a slow trot. The distant chime of the doorbell could be heard so Brooklyn went to see who was at the door. He was confused at finding a man and woman outside. Like Ray, the man had long bushy black hair and gold eyes but his sideburns were poofy. The woman was cute and busty with hot pink hair and the same gold eyes. Brooklyn noticed that the visitors also had the same physical features as Ray, pointy ears catlike eyes and pronounced canines under their top lip. "Can I help you?" "We're looking for Ray Kon. Is he here?" "Might I first ask how you learned of this address?" The man sighed, his eyes like knives. "We don't have time to chat with you pal. Is Ray here or not?" "Yes he's here but unless you're a client I can't let you in during his business hours." "So you'd keep his family away from him? For what?" "Ray is an abuse therapist for children and right now two of his patients are here. But I suppose if you're family…he wouldn't mind as much. Please come this way." Brooklyn didn't like this man. He had a dominating air about him that set the warning bells off in Brooklyn's mind. By the time they got outside the horses were cantering.

From the door where he stood, Brooklyn could tell that Kai and Ray were really enjoying themselves. Sadly he had to ruin the moment, whistling loudly to get Ray's attention. "C'mon Kai. Keep up now." It took a matter of seconds for Kai and Ray to reach the house and once there, the raven haired therapist had quite a shock to see the visitors. "Lee? Mariah? What are you guys doing here?" "We need to speak with you Ray. Immediately and privately." "O-Okay. Max, you and Brooklyn take the boys to get a drink and a bite to eat." Ray couldn't help but worry considering how his "family" had turned up out of the blue. Kai saw the signs that his guardian was troubled, touching his toned thigh. Ray crouched down, seeing the worry in Kai's eyes. "It's okay little buddy. Lee and Mariah are from the village I grew up in. They're not going to hurt you. Come on, you must be hungry after all that excitement." Ray worried more when Kai refused to leave his side upon entering the living room. Brooklyn was able to pull Kai away but not without struggle. Ray sat down once he'd made some drinks for his guests. For a few minutes there was silence as Ray tried to think of something to say. He hadn't left the village on good terms, that much he remembered. "What's the matter Ray? Cat got your tongue?" "Why are you here Lee? It's been over ten years since I left the village. I'd thought you'd all forgotten me by now." "Forget you? Ray how could think that?" It had been the woman to speak and Ray turned to her. "It's only natural, Mariah. Or have you forgotten why I left the village to begin with?" "No but…we could never forget you." Ray clenched his fists, remembering exactly why he'd left the safety of his village. "Ray, the elders want you to come home and take your rightful place a…" "What rightful place, Lee? I don't have a "place" in that village. I never did."

"Of course you do Ray. It's at Mariah's side as her husband. We're tired of waiting for you to come back. You're coming with us whether you like it or not. The wedding has already been arranged and I've been given permission to take you back to White Tiger Hills by any means necessary." "I'm not going." The words were barely above a whisper but Lee picked straight up on the threatening tone. Anger was clear in Ray's eyes when he stood up at his full height, looking at Lee with no less of a glare than the people who sought to harm children. "What was that Ray? I couldn't hear you." "You heard me perfectly, Lee. I'm not going back to the village. I can't. I have a life here. My existence means something to this community." "You can and you will." A rather loud, agitated growl left Ray's throat. He was not one for violence but Lee was pushing all the wrong buttons. "You just don't listen do you Lee? I said no so I mean exactly that. Mariah, I mean no disrespect to you. You're a beautiful woman but I could never love you that way. I only ever saw you as a sister and that view remains to this day." Said woman was in tears, afraid that a fight would start. "I understand Ray. You've come a long way from the life we had together. I'd never force you to do anything that would cause imbalance." "Mariah, you're not helping! Ray is coming back to China with us, no questions asked. I suggest you pack your bags, Ray. Before I do it for you." Ray was about to lose his last shred of patience when suddenly, Claude came charging into the room and shoved Lee a fair distance away from Ray. "NO! You can't take Mr. Ray! I won't let you!" "Claude? Have you been eaves dropping?" "I didn't mean to, honest. But we could hear shouting from the kitchen. We don't want you to go." "You see, Lee? My life has a purpose now. I'm not the forgotten little boy you once knew."

Then it happened. Lee finally snapped, lunging at Ray with intent to harm. If it wasn't for Kai pouncing onto Lee's back and biting his ear, Ray would've taken a nasty hit to the face. "Get off of me you little brat!" Lee flailed around, trying to dislodge the child until he gained purchase on Kai's spiky hair, throwing him across the room. Brooklyn stepped in at the exact moment Kai hit a wall, hard. "The hell is going on here?! You'll pay for that!" "Well perhaps the little brat should mind his own business. You as well gingernut." Mariah had no idea where to put herself as Brooklyn clouted Lee quite hard across the face. The scuffle didn't last long as Ray pulled a sword from his collection on the wall and aimed the blade at Lee's throat. "The hell do you think you're doing Ray?" "Protecting my friend. Brooklyn, go see if Kai's okay. I've got him." With much reluctance, Brooklyn left Ray's side to check on Kai. He was still breathing but in a lot of pain. Seeing tears of agony leaking from Kai's eyes fuelled Ray's anger. "Now you listen to me Lee, and you listen good. I vowed to never go back to that village. If you recall, my parents went missing in the woods one day. I was all alone in the house with nobody to turn to. The elders labelled my parents as delinquents and refused to send out a search party. MY house was given to a newly wed couple in the village. And where did I end up Lee? Do you remember?" Said man was silent with fear. He knew that to speak now would see his throat slit. "I was tossed onto the streets, cold, hungry and alone. Yes you, Mariah, Gao and Kevin showed me kindness. I'll never forget that. But nobody else cared. On my tenth birthday I decided enough was enough. I went to the elders, told them what I thought of their village and swore never to return after the way I was neglected. And you didn't try to stop me. None of you. I'd hoped that my threat would wake everybody up."

Despite his anger Ray was crying from the pain he felt at remembering the past. Brooklyn on the other hand had no idea what Ray went through as a child, realising now why he chose the profession he was in. Because Ray knew their pain too. He'd been through the hurt, the loneliness and had come out on top to help those in need. Max had also heard the tale Ray wove, disgusted that the village only wanted him back because of tradition. "From where I'm standing, pal." Max started as he moved towards Lee, anger etched onto his face. "Ray is no longer tied to your rules, your traditions. I'm sure that deep down; Ray still loves that village despite what its people did to him. I might not be Ray's closest friend but I damn well know that forcing him to bend to rules he's forgotten is wrong and unjust. Your people clearly haven't learned from their past errors. We're not going to let Ray go just so he can become a slave." "This is none of your business blondie so poke your freckled nose out of it." Ray reminded Lee he still had the sword to his gullet, eyes holding intent to kill. Mariah could stand the fight no more, moving Ray well clear of Lee. "Stop it both of you! For crying out loud Lee, can't you see what you're doing?!" "Get out of the way Mariah." "No I won't! Ray doesn't want to come back because of what OUR grandfather put him through! I'm not going to let you bully Ray into leaving the good, honest work he does here!" "Mariah if you stand in the way of the tradition you'll be banished." "I don't care!" Lee stepped back with wide eyes, knowing he really had to watch his step now. "So what if I get thrown out of the community? If Ray can make a life for himself out here then so can I!" "Mariah don't do this. Please. Don't make me turn on my own sister. Grandfather won't live much longer and when he goes…" "You'll be the elder, Lee. And I'll be nothing but a shadow."

Ray had not expected Mariah to turn on Lee like she had, or to even show her back to the village traditions. They were alike in more ways that one. Mariah had always lived in the shadow of her brother. Their parents had died not long after Ray's had gone missing. Mariah's rebellion touched Ray deep down. She was like a sister to him and he'd do anything to protect her. Mariah turned to Ray, her eyes puffy. "I guess nobody told you Ray. Our parents died because they tried to go out and find yours. Grandfather didn't hesitate to give the order to the guards. He's not the man I used to know." Lee decided enough was enough, dragging Mariah out of the building by her arm. What would happen now? Would Lee come back with more "persuasion" or would Mariah be cast aside like an unwanted toy? Ray wasn't sure but either way he'd never let her suffer. Putting the sword back on the wall, Ray went to see how badly Kai was hurt while ignoring the look of pity in Brooklyn's eyes. "Ray…" "Not now Brooklyn. Kai needs to rest and so do I." "But…I had no idea that…" "It's in the past, Brooklyn. And from now on I intend to leave it there." Ray's interruption was sharp and harsh, almost breaking Brooklyn's heart. But in Ray's eyes he could still see the pain his lover had shouldered. He wanted comfort but was too full of pride to ask for it. Claude and Aaron watched fearfully as Ray carried Kai up to his room. They'd never seen him so angry before. Max decided it was best to leave Ray alone for a while to cool off, taking the boys home. Brooklyn waited a few minutes before following after Ray, finding him cuddling with Kai on the boy's bed. Both of them were sleeping so Brooklyn went outside to see how the ponies were settling in. He wondered if Mariah would come back with not a penny to her name. Yet he pitied her, constantly living in somebody's shadow.

Ray woke up around supper time to the smell of stir fry. Looking down he saw Kai staring at him, eyes red raw from crying. When Ray tried to get up he discovered that Kai had a tight grip on his shirt. "Come on, little buddy. It's time for supper." Ray was able to escape from Kai's grasp but not for long as the boy clamped onto his waist fearfully. "Batia!" Heaving a soft sigh, Ray lifted Kai into his arms and took him to the bathroom so they could get cleaned up for supper. Brooklyn had never been so relieved when Kai and Ray came into the kitchen. He took the chance to kiss Ray when Kai rubbed his tired eyes. "How are you feeling Ray?" "Exhausted. Did Claude and Aaron go home already?" "Yeah Max took 'em not long after you and Kai went to rest. I didn't wake you did I?" "It's fine, Brooklyn. We had to get up some time. Are the ponies settled?" "Mostly. I'm worried about Shelinda, Ray." "She'll be fine, Brooklyn. I won't let anybody hurt her, you know that." Despite that Brooklyn still worried for the mare. As usual he received no special treatment from Kai after supper. Brooklyn reluctantly went home at around eight p.m. after tucking Ray into bed. The sky remained clear that night and for three days afterward. Kai slowly got the hang of the English language but continued to call Ray batia, confusing him greatly. Obviously the word held value with Kai and Ray couldn't shake the feeling he was calling him dad, but in his native tongue. By the end of the week Kai had a handle on basic English words but struggled with bigger words. There was still no sign of his parents either and this made Ray worry. If Kai's family wasn't found he'd be put into an orphanage or a foster home with people who didn't understand him. Ray found himself breaking his main rule almost daily. Kai had not been with him long but was already a key part of Ray's life.

On Tuesday Ray was busy breaking in the Shetland ponies with Kai's help, Brooklyn watching from the sidelines. Nadine would be coming today with the girls and hopefully Claude and Aaron were going to visit. Ray and Kai were pretty far away when the doorbell went off so Brooklyn ventured inside to see who it was. He'd expected to find Nadine and the girls so seeing a teary eyed Mariah shocked him. She was just as surprised to see Brooklyn. "We had a feeling you'd be back. It's Mariah isn't it?" "Y-Yes. Is Ray home? I'm sorry; I don't remember your name." "I'm Brooklyn. Ray's out back with Kai. Here let me take those bags." Mariah stood dumbfounded at Brooklyn's behaviour. She'd expected him to kick her off the doorstep after what happened with Lee. "You're not…mad at me?" "Why would I be? It wasn't your fault Kai got hurt. You didn't try forcing Ray to return to a village that never cared. Ray was pretty thorough when dressing me down about the situation. If he hadn't I would've turned you away without a second thought. So they kicked you out I take it?" Mariah nodded wearily as Brooklyn took her light bags, setting them by the sofa. He got her sitting down before fetching Ray, taking his place at Kai's side. Ray couldn't say he was surprised to see Mariah so soon. But it broke his heart to see the tears that ran down her cheeks. "Mariah what happened?" "Grandfather and the other elders disowned me because I refused to go through with our marriage. Lee almost came back with a few of the other menfolk to drag you back to China. I don't mean to be a burden Ray, but I have nowhere else to go." Brooklyn and Kai returned in time to see Ray embracing Mariah tightly to try and ease her tears. "So Ray, what'll you do?" "I'm not going to turn Mariah away. She'll stay here until I can find her a job and a place to live." "Understood Ray. I'll get a room ready for her."

After two hours and three cups of herbal tea, Mariah was back to her old self in Ray's eyes. She bustled about tidying the place from top to bottom and didn't let the men in the kitchen. Kai got lucky being young. For the moment he was nervous of this stranger despite how nice she was to him. At half twelve Nadine arrived with Syldra and Cryska. She noticed the new face straight away and immediately cornered Ray about her. "Who's the woman?" "Mariah's an old friend of mine from China. She just got booted out of the village we grew up in a few days ago and she has nowhere else to stay. It's not permanent, just until she can find work and her own place to live." "Will she have contact with the children?" "Not directly. At least not until they're used to her. Mariah has promised she'll keep out of my way and help from the sidelines. It almost sounds like you're accusing me of housing a murderer and I don't like it. I've already called Mr. Dickenson and he understands the situation. Besides, I can't keep running myself ragged treating the kids and keeping the house clean." "What about Brooklyn? He's always here." "Not daily. Brooklyn has his own job to do. He's visiting more often recently because Shelinda is close to having her foal and Brooklyn wants to be there for her." Ray wasn't sure he liked Nadine's behaviour, making a mental note to keep an eye on the woman around Mariah. He found the pinkette watching the girls from the door as they cuddled with Odin. Kai and Brooklyn were still working with the ponies, down to the last two. A bay stud and a blue roan filly. Ray briefly went into the stables to fetch the other three. Beside Kai's favourite dapple grey were a white colt and a grey pinto stallion. They'd all gained weight over the days and Ray was pleased with their progress. He took them out to meet Mariah and she was smitten.

An hour later Max and the boys arrived. Today would be Claude and Aaron's last day of treatment at the ranch. He wouldn't admit it verbally but Ray didn't want to see them go. Clearly his don't get attached to the kids rule wasn't sticking. Ray had prepared a cake the night before for the boys and some charm bracelets with help from Kai. It was clear the boys knew this would likely be the last time they'd see Ray, refusing to stray far from his side. Max and Brooklyn were both moved to tears so badly they had to excuse themselves so the women and kids didn't see two grown men crying. Kai could see Ray wanted to let his tears free but flat down refused, wondering what his guardian could be so upset about. Since it was the last session for Claude and Aaron, it was over within an hour. Ray was about to see the boys off when Kai came running to him all panicked. Brooklyn, Max, Nadine and Mariah were in the kitchen with the girls. "What is it Kai?" Try as he might, Kai couldn't get his point across so he dragged Ray outside by the hand. The reason for Kai's panic was in the stable. Shelinda was giving birth! "Goodness this is sudden. Kai, you stay with Shelinda while I get Brooklyn." Kai did as he was told, running his fingers through Shelinda's mane as she pawed at the ground from her lying position. Brooklyn was beside the palomino mare in the blink of an eye, whispering words of comfort to her. Ray returned with heaps of blankets, setting them by the door. Max had seen Ray darting around in a flurry so he decided to go and see what was up. "Ray? What's going on?" Questioned man turned in a snap to see Max standing worriedly. "The foal is on it's way, Max. If it wasn't for Kai coming to get me we'd never have known until it was too late." "Should I get the boys? They've been eager for the foal's arrival since late last year."

Ray thought for a moment before he nodded. He wanted Claude and Aaron's last time at the ranch to be one they'd remember fondly. Stepping into the living room, Max found the boys sitting on the sofa looking glum. "Hey boys. How'd you like to see a horse being born?" Their eyes lit up like Christmas had just arrived. "Is Shelly…?" "Yeah Claude. The foal is on its way. Come on. Ray wants you boys to be there." Claude and Aaron didn't let a second go to waste, running to the stable. By the time they got there Brooklyn had Shelinda's head in his lap and Kai was stroking her tense shoulder. Claude and Aaron wordlessly moved to kneel beside Kai, helping to keep Shelinda calm. For about half an hour they waited, listening to Ray's calm instructions until the foal came squalling into the world, its eyes adjusting to the rush of light. Everyone moved back as Shelinda staggered to her feet, kissing the newborn lovingly. Its coat was very pale blonde, mane stormy grey. Odin was in the stall next door, his head over the separating wall. Brooklyn figured the white stallion was the father of Shelinda's foal, petting him proudly on the neck. Claude, Aaron and Kai watched intently as Ray guided the foal to where it could get its first feed. "So what is it Ray?" Brooklyn asked curiously. "It's a charming little boy. Just like his mom. What do you say boys? I'm gonna let you name him." Claude and Aaron glanced at each other then looked to Ray. "What about Thowra?" "It's got a nice ring to it. Thowra. Welcome to the family little buddy. We'll take good care of you, I promise." Thowra made the day more memorable for Claude and Aaron by taking his first steps in their direction, Shelinda right beside him. With the foal born, Ray had no way to stall any longer. Claude and Aaron had to go. So that the boys would never forget this day a picture was taken. One for each of them.

Once inside Ray was tongue tied. He couldn't think of any easy way to see the boys off without letting his pain show. Ray gave in when Claude and Aaron hugged him, crying tears of their own. "We'll miss you, Mr. Ray." "I know, Aaron. I'll miss you too. Before you go, there's something me and Kai wanna give you." Said boy came plodding in beside Max, his eyes already puffy. Claude and Aaron were thrilled with the bracelets they received but were confused about all the funny symbols. "Mr. Ray, what're these characters on the beads?" "Those Claude are Chinese symbols. Each one has its own special power to keep bad demons at bay. Make sure to wear them always." "We will. Will…will we ever see you again?" "I don't know Claude. Maybe someday once you're all grown up." "What about Kai? Is he gonna be with you forever?" It was Aaron to ask this time, his big brown eyes filled with unshed tears. "I can't say little buddy. Sometimes it takes a while for lost children to find their way home. But if Kai's family can't be found I'll take the jump and adopt him." Brooklyn walked in holding two small bags just as Ray could hold himself back no longer, holding the boys tightly and Max didn't care to stop him. "I want you boys to promise me you'll work hard at school. Don't let anybody push you around and always be thankful for each and every day you have with your families, no matter how rotten they might treat you." Max stepped in before the boys could say anything. "I didn't wanna spoil the surprise but it's only fair you know." "Max?" "Claude and Aaron have been adopted and will be brothers as of tomorrow. I've been told the couple adopting them will come and see you soon." "Thank you. Now I know not to panic when two random people show up at my door. You boys had better go." "You'll be okay won't you?" "Of course I will Aaron. I promise."

With their cake in hand, Claude and Aaron were taken out to Max's car so they could go home. Ray wondered what their adoptive parents were like. Would they forbid the boys to see him again? Could the same future await Syldra and Cryska or would they be separated? Ray felt like his heart was being ripped out of his chest as he watched Max drive away. Nadine didn't know what had gotten into Ray when he blindly trudged by her on his way down the hall. Brooklyn was taking the parting a little better, sitting on the sofa with Kai. "What got into Ray?" "He's grieving. I would advise you to leave him alone for a day or two." "Is it always this bad Brooklyn?" "No. This is the first time I've seen Ray so torn. Usually he doesn't get attached to the children he works with. But Claude and Aaron were different to the others. Somehow they wormed their way into Ray's heart." "Did he ever meet their parents?" Brooklyn could only shrug his shoulders this time. Banging could be heard in the distance but Brooklyn reassured Nadine that Ray was just releasing his frustration in the gym some way down the hall. Soon it was just Brooklyn, Mariah and Kai in the living room, listening to the distant thumping of sandbags. "Why is Ray punishing himself so hard Brooklyn?" "He broke his number one rule Mariah." "What rule is that?" "To never, under any circumstances, become attached to the children undergoing therapy. I can already see he's growing incredibly fond of Kai. Hopefully Ray will be better in the morning." "It must be hard to do this kind of job." "It is. I've been by Ray's side through all of it, including the training. He's had a lot of stick for being a male abuse therapist. We live in such a sexist community and it's damned unfair for men to be judged the way they are." "I agree with you Brooklyn but there's nothing we can do about it."

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Will ray ever see the boys again? Who has adopted them into their family? And will Kai finally be found by his family who must surely be missing him?

FIND OUT IN THE NEXT CHAPTER!


	4. Truth

I apologise for the late update. I got stuck with writer's block for a while.

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4

Truth

The next morning all was quiet. Kai was the first out of bed, plodding to the bathroom. Once he'd brushed his teeth and washed his face, Kai ventured to Ray's room. The first thing he saw was Brooklyn snoozing behind Ray, an arm around his waist. Mariah appeared at the door just as Kai tugged on Ray's fingers to wake him up. She too was surprised to see Brooklyn sharing Ray's bed. "Ray what's going on?" The questioned man came around from his slumber slowly, eyes resting on a worried Kai. Upon stretching he found the cause of Kai's worry, rolling over slightly to see Brooklyn sleeping without a care. "Ray?" "I've told him numerous times not to do this. Mariah, I swear to you this is not what it looks like." "Then what is it Ray?" "Look, Brooklyn's obviously worried about me after what happened yesterday. Last time I was in this state was when my uncle Stan passed away. Brooklyn stayed with me after the funeral. I'd had a hard time explaining to Mr. Dickenson why he'd found us in the same bed. He just wants to comfort me." Mariah wasn't buying Ray's excuse, her eyes portraying evil thoughts of getting Ray to cough up the truth. She left with orders that Ray get to the kitchen as soon as possible, taking Kai to get his breakfast. Once they were gone, Ray snuck his hand under the sheets and grabbed Brooklyn fiercely by his manly bits, waking him right up. "You've gotten me into trouble again. With Mariah this time." "Wha? She was here?" "Did you forget that Mariah lives here now? And she's not falling for my lies. I…I might have to tell her the truth."

Brooklyn worried. He had no idea how Mariah would react if she knew Ray was gay. By the time they were ready, Kai was sitting in the living room. Mariah banished Brooklyn from the kitchen so she could confront Ray about the real reason she'd found them in the same bed. "Mariah, for crying out loud I'm telling you the truth." Mariah did not respond as she got some medical supplies ready. It was only then that Ray noticed just how banged up his fists were and he knew what Mariah was going to do to get the truth out of him. He hissed when Mariah dabbed at his knuckles with a cotton ball soaked in a medical liquid. "Do you really think I'm going to fall for that Ray? Or have you forgotten your little tell?" A giveaway that he was lying? Ray couldn't think of one for a moment before he remembered what Mariah was talking about. Only the people in the village knew of the way Ray's ears would twitch when he told a lie. And Mariah was wise to the twitching of Ray's ears when he opened his mouth to speak, pressing the cotton ball onto the wound making him yowl in pain. "It's only going to get worse if you keep this up Ray. You'll tell the truth if you know what's good for you." Ray bit his bottom lip hard, trying to fight the stinging pain shooting through his knuckles until it became too much to bear. "Alright I'll talk. But you have to promise you won't tell anyone." "And why should I accept your condition?" "Because if people knew, I'd lose my job." There was genuine sadness in Ray's voice that made Mariah really consider what he'd said. "Okay I won't tell anybody. Now what's going on Ray?" "Mariah, I'm gay. And Brooklyn…he's my boyfriend. We've been on and off for years because of my job but he won't let me quit." "I wouldn't have judged you if you'd just come out and said it, Ray." "But Kai wouldn't understand. He's too young."

Now that Ray had divulged his secret, Mariah was gentler when cleaning his wounds. For the sake of Ray's job she promised to act like she didn't know the truth. Brooklyn was allowed into the kitchen once breakfast was ready. The triumphant look on Mariah's face told Brooklyn all he needed to know. "Ray, tell me you didn't…" "Sorry Brooklyn. I had no choice. There's no way I can lie to Mariah." "What? Why not?" Ray opened his mouth to speak but Mariah pipped him to the post. "Because when Ray lies his ears twitch. Foreigners are blind to this little tell of Ray's." Brooklyn thought back to the times he'd seen Ray's ears twitching and most of them were when he'd said I love you to him. "Ray does that mean you…you don't…" "I don't what Brooklyn?" "Thinking back there were times when your ears twitched during our conversations. I'd never thought much of it back then but…every time you said you loved me your ears would start twitching frantically." Mariah watched very carefully to see what Ray had to say in response. "Brooklyn, how could you think that? I've never lied to you." Upon careful inspection, Ray's ears did not move an inch. "Then why…?" "Every time we were together back then, when I'd tell you just how much I loved you, Brooklyn, I meant every word." This time Ray's ears went crazy and Mariah understood why. "I'd almost forgotten about that one." "Mariah?" "Ray wasn't lying, Brooklyn. Ray's ears twitch slowly when he's lying. But when he's saying I love you to somebody close to him his ears will go mad. That means he's crazy in love. I haven't seen them move like that since his mother held him tight the day before she vanished. Now eat up or I'll paint your backsides red." Brooklyn felt better now he knew the truth, not caring about Mariah when he pulled Ray into a fairly passionate kiss. Try as he might, Ray could not resist, settling into Brooklyn's arms.

As the day went on, Ray and Brooklyn grew more comfortable displaying their relationship in front of Mariah. Shelinda noticed the unease between her masters had gone as she walked in the paddock with her foal. Brooklyn received a call around midday saying he was needed. Despite his feelings of nervousness around Brooklyn, Kai hugged him before he left. With his lover gone, Ray took Kai to go give the new ponies a bath. Mariah watched fondly from the door as the pair bonded. A knock at the door drew her attention away. Outside the front entrance she found a man and woman, noticing wedding rings on their fingers. The man was tall and handsome with cream coloured hair and hazy blue eyes. His wife was short and petite with shoulder length light pink hair and rosy pink eyes. Mariah would've said something to the couple if she hadn't felt a hand on her shoulder, turning to find Ray there. "Ray?" "I've got this Mariah. You go and help Kai out back." Mariah felt uncertain but did as she was told, leaving Ray with the couple. "Sorry about that. Mariah's new to the country so people knocking on the front door is strange to her. Please come in and have a seat." "Thank you Mr. Kon. I guess Mr. Mizahura told you we'd be stopping by?" It was the man to speak, his voice strong. "Yes but he didn't say when. Tea?" "Please. Milk two sugars for both of us." Ray was gone a matter of minutes, setting a tray down on the table. He then sat himself opposite the couple. "I…take it you yourself are not from Japan, Mr. Kon?" "What makes you ask?" "Well I haven't seen many Japanese men wearing Chinese clothing. Plus you just don't look it." "You got me. Born and partially raised in China. I came here at the age of ten. You however have quite a tan Mr?" "I'm Miguel and this is my wife Mathilda. We just wanted to have a chat with you about the boys."

Ray tensed a little. He didn't particularly like discussing the children he'd treated but Miguel and Mathilda had just adopted two of them so he felt obligated to help the couple understand the boys. "Well I'm not exactly sure where to start. With Aaron you have to be very patient. He's quite a shy boy. Claude is not as withdrawn but still gets nervous around strangers. They were both verbally abused by their blood parents with mild physicality." "Do they lash out at all?" "I've never seen the boys be violent towards anyone. They're passive from my experience. Are they settled with you?" Mathilda gripped Miguel's hand and Ray noticed the gesture. "We're…a little concerned, Mr. Kon. Not long after we decided to adopt the boys Mathilda found out that she's pregnant. While trying to get Claude ready for bed last night he stumbled into the room we've prepared for the baby." Ray's face fell. "How did he react?" "I've never seen so much malice in a child's eyes before. It's almost as if Claude thinks we adopted him and Aaron to be play mates for the little one. I can assure you this is not the case." "Not long after Claude was referred for treatment at my ranch his mother gave birth to a little girl. She was showered with the love he had been denied. In Claude's eyes that baby replaced him. It's possible he fears the same thing is going to happen with you and Mathilda." "We swore to love him and Aaron as our own and we'll do so." Ray knew the couple wanted advice, trying to find a solution to their problem. "Are the boys with you?" "Yes they're out in the car." "I'd like to speak with them. I'll get this mess cleared up for you I promise." Miguel glanced at Mathilda, seeking her approval and she gave a small nod. The second the boys saw Ray they were glued to his waist. "Mr. Ray!" "Hey boys. Listen, Miguel has told me that Mathilda's having a baby."

Claude's face grew sour immediately making Ray very nervous. He crouched down and gripped their shoulders gently. "You don't have to worry. They're not replacing you. Claude, I know for you an event like this left you scarred deep down. You're frightened about being replaced again and I understand but Miguel and Mathilda aren't like your parents. They've promised, sworn even, to love you like their own son." "But Mr. Ray…" "No buts little man. I know an honest person when I see one. Now I want you boys to do something for me okay? Promise you won't see that baby as a threat, but as family. When that kid grows up it'll call you both brother and look up to you so you gotta set a good example." It was hard for Ray to get the boys to look at him but he succeeded eventually. "Promise?" Claude and Aaron nodded, their eyes holding no lies. Miguel and Mathilda noticed Ray's ears twitching when he hugged the boys close to him. "Um…Mr. Kon…your ears…" "Hm? Oh, sorry about that. I can't control the blasted things." "Why were they?" "When I get really happy or if I'm close to somebody I care about my ears twitch excitedly." "I thought you weren't allowed to get attached to the children?" "Normally I don't. But these little rascals kinda reminded me of what I've been through." Ray was distracted by somebody pulling on his sash, turning to find Kai looking incredibly nervous. "Hey Kai. What's up little buddy?" In response Kai pulled Ray toward the back door eagerly. Arriving outside, Ray found the problem. Zeus had pinned Mariah to the roof of Ray's house. He'd never seen the colt so rattled before, immediately lassoing the angry creature and pulled him away with some struggle. Miguel and Mathilda watched worriedly as Zeus pulled against Ray quite violently. "Ho boy! Calm down! Don't make me get the whip buddy."

Ray's threat seemed to work on Zeus as the colt calmed down at a steady pace. Kai managed to distract Zeus so Mariah could get off the roof. Ray knew by the look in her eyes that he was in for an ear bashing. "Why in the blazes is such an aggressive animal here?! Have you no sense Ray?!" "I thought I'd locked that stall tightly but apparently not. I never let Zeus near the kids. Except for Kai. There's a strange bond between them that I'm trying to figure out." "That's beside the point! He could've killed me Ray. I saw the fire in his eyes. All that creature wants is to hurt people. Whatever happened to that horse is something you can't undo, Ray. Brooklyn told me what happened to Zeus, that he was abused violently after being taken from his mother at a young age. He's beyond saving Ray. It'd be kinder to put him down so he'll be free of his pain." Being told Zeus should be euthanized by somebody he cared about broke Ray's heart, watching as Kai cuddled up with Zeus some distance away. Although Ray had no particular plans for Kai to stay with him permanently, he worried the boy would react badly to losing one of the only friends he had. "Zeus isn't a bad horse, Ms. Mary." Mariah looked down at Claude, determination set on his face. "And why is that young man?" "He just needs somebody who understands his pain. That's why Zeus has never attacked Mr. Ray." "But he could really hurt somebody one day. What if Zeus did turn on Ray? Would you still think he's not a bad horse?" Claude was not budging from his belief for nobody, walking over to Zeus calmly. "Claude what are you doing? Don't go near him." Claude ignored Ray, continuing on his route. Zeus looked up at the determined boy with no amount of malice. He even allowed Claude to pet him. Ray had never seen Zeus so calm before. "Maybe he just doesn't like big people?"

Mariah looked at Mathilda with daggers making the shorter woman cower. Ray suddenly had an idea. What if children were the cure to Zeus's fear? "Y'know Mathilda, you just might be right. Horses are sensitive animals. It's why I use them here on the ranch to help the children. Maybe Zeus just needs some child whispering to help him overcome the trauma he's suffered." Shelinda caught Ray's attention by kicking at the fence of the paddock. "And of course, I can't forget the star of the show. Calm down Shelinda. You'll get your chance. Miguel, Mathilda, this is Shelinda. She's my main therapy horse. Shelinda, these are Claude and Aaron's adoptive parents. Come and say hi old girl." Thowra stuck to his mothers' heels as she plodded over to Miguel, staring into his eyes and soul yet he was not unnerved. Instead Miguel stroked Shelinda's gold cheek tenderly. "There's a good girl. And who might this little one be?" Shelinda blew a loud raspberry when Miguel bent down to get a better look at Thowra. She didn't appear angry, just protective of her first child. "That's Thowra. He was born just yesterday." Miguel respectively backed away and Shelinda put her hoof down. Given how understanding Miguel was of Shelinda's mood Ray figured the tanned male worked with horses. "Just looking at Shelinda I can see she's a strong horse. I promise we'll look after the boys. They're dear to you I know." To Ray's surprise, Shelinda tugged Miguel into a hug and he readily returned it. The boys couldn't stay long so Shelinda allowed them a quick ride. While the boys were busy Ray took Miguel and Mathilda to meet the other horses. Zookie and Ray's other dog were happy to see Claude and Aaron again, giving them both a big sloppy kiss. Ray felt better about letting the boys go this time, knowing they were in safe hands with Miguel and Mathilda.

A couple of days drifted by after Ray met the people who adopted Claude and Aaron. Zeus was making a slow recovery but Mariah still believed the black colt should be put down. It was early afternoon, Ray and Kai were sitting in the living room doing some English lessons. Max had offered to take Mariah around town to see if she could find a more permanent job. Brooklyn was out working. The doorbell chimed so Ray excused himself to go see who it was. He was baffled at seeing a pale skinned man wearing a police uniform. The man had devil horn scarlet red hair and icy blue eyes. Ray immediately noticed the officer was not local to Japan by the badge on his vest. "C-Can I help you officer?" In response the man raised his badge, speaking up with a gruff Russian voice. "I'm Sergeant Vladimir Valkov. You must be Mr. Kon?" "I am. How might I help?" "We have received intelligence from your precinct about a lost child. I would like to discuss this with you privately if possible." "O-Of course. Please come in. Would you like a drink sergeant?" "Tea please, one sugar and a spot of milk." "I'll be right back. Please take a seat the sitting room." Sergeant Valkov didn't need much persuasion when he saw Kai, kneeling in front of the boy eagerly, addressing him in Russian. Ray came back from the kitchen to find Kai in Vladimir's arms. "Is…something wrong sergeant?" "How long has Kai been here?" "No more than just over a month. A friend of mine found him unconscious by the bridge that goes over the river." "You are in great danger, Mr. Kon. Kai's grandfather, Voltaire has been scouring all of Russia looking for him." "And Kai's parents?" "His father, Konstantin Hiwatari was murdered three years ago by an unknown assailant. Mrs. Hiwatari vanished from our radar the night she tried to get away with Kai. I do not feel comfortable discussing the rest in front of Kai."

As luck would have it, Mariah came back with Max. They too were surprised at seeing a cop. "Ray? What's going on?" "Mariah, take Kai into the kitchen and keep him there, please. I'll explain later." Regardless of her feelings of confusion, Mariah did as she was told, Max not far behind. Kai wasn't very willing to leave Ray's side, gripping tightly to his sash until it came loose. Vladimir wasn't deaf to the word batia coming from the scared child. "How long has Kai been calling you batia, Mr. Kon?" "I dunno. About a week at the least. I didn't think to stop him since he always looked so happy. What does batia mean?" "It's the Russian word for dad. I can see you are a good man, Mr. Kon and I don't want to see you get hurt. But Voltaire is not a man for talking. The longer Kai stays here, the greater the danger you and your friends are in. He's no stranger to killing people." "Does Kai have no other family?" "He had an uncle but we lost track of him. Kai's mother had been planning for a while to leave Russia, wanting to come home to Japan. As I'm sure you can see I'm a close friend of Kai's parents. But that is not enough to gain guardianship. Kai is happy here, even sees you as his father." "I've tried not to let him get attached but all my methods keep failing. You say Kai's father died three years ago?" "Yes. Why?" "I've had a hunch for a while that one of my horses is Kai's father reincarnated. It's bonkers to believe such a thing I know but there's no other way to explain Zeus's behaviour around Kai." "May I see this horse, Mr. Kon?" "I must warn you he's quite aggressive with strangers." "But if Zeus is Konstantin reincarnated he should recognise me and will not attack. Let us go. There is much to discuss." Ray didn't argue, taking Vladimir out to the stables. Zeus was hesitant around the man at first but clamed within a minute or so.

Ray stood ready with a lasso just in case Zeus bolted. Vladimir was careful when approaching the black colt, attention primarily on his crimson eyes. Zeus relaxed when Vladimir's pale hand met his cheek. "How old is this horse?" "Three years old. The only odd thing about him, other than his behaviour, is his eyes. Zeus was heavily abused before he came to me as a foal. I've tried to ease his suffering but to no avail." "He's not just suffering from abuse, Mr. Kon. He is grieving. I have no doubt that your theory of Zeus being the reincarnation of Kai's father is correct. Is he close to Kai?" "Quite. He took to him like a cat to a bowl of cream. It seems Zeus is not fond of adults." Vladimir sighed softly, ignoring the nudge of his shoulder. Ray wondered if Voltaire would find out that Kai was no longer in Russia. With the suspicion eased, Ray and Vladimir went back inside. "So what do we do sergeant? Surely Voltaire will turn his eyes this way eventually." "Indeed he will. For now there is not much we can do to ensure your safety. For years now we have tried to put Voltaire behind bars. He has dark plans, Mr. Kon. Very dark plans. World domination is his goal." "But why cause Kai so much pain?" "When Konstantin died, Voltaire started taking partial custody of Kai. Every weekend he'd stay with his grandfather, returning home beaten within an inch of his life. Voltaire has so much influence in Russia that there was nothing we could do. He keeps paying our men to keep silent but I for one refuse to do so. I will do my best to locate Kai's mother and uncle but it is highly likely they are already dead. To my knowledge Kai's mother was shot through the lung. It's not likely she'd survive such a grievous wound. Reports tell of a boat owned by her brother. Voltaire's men chased this boat for quite some distance, eventually sinking it, passengers and all."

Ray could hardly believe his ears but Sergeant Valkov did not appear to be the lying sort. After taking a sip of his tea he continued. "They found no trace of Kai or his uncle among the debris so Voltaire's thugs returned home. I'm amazed that Kai made it here alive. You say he was found by a river?" "Yes. The bank is steep in most places, except near the bridge. It's possible he washed up on shore. Or something pushed him out of the water. It's not uncommon for dolphins to rescue drowning people but I've never heard of them swimming up rivers." "Maybe one didn't. How far is the nearest beach from the river?" "A good hour's walk away. You think Kai would've had the strength to walk that far?" "It's possible. He's a strong boy. Just like his father. What time of day was he found?" "I think late afternoon. The streets aren't too packed on that route with the kids at school." "It's possible Kai ran from anyone who tried to talk to him. How did he react to you?" "Kai was quite frightened and kept his distance mostly. He tried to escape twice so I had to tie him up until things calmed down. We alerted the police the day we found him." Vladimir nodded, taking in everything Ray said, glancing to his watch. "Sadly I must go now. The police here have been very patient with us through these negotiations. You must speak to nobody else but me about this matter, Mr. Kon. I fear you will be harmed otherwise if one of my corrupted comrades comes to the door. I will call you whenever I am going to come here." "I understand. Man this is gonna be hard to explain to the others. I'll do my best to keep Kai safe, Mr. Valkov." Vladimir stood to leave in time for Kai to pounce on him. It warmed Ray deep down to see Kai with somebody he knew and trusted. Vladimir was like a second uncle to the boy. With sergeant Valkov gone, Ray turned to Kai. "Now, where's my sash?"

As promised, Ray explained the situation to Max, Mariah and Brooklyn, leaving them all worried. How soon would Voltaire turn his eyes to the peaceful little ranch? Would Kai be safe from the man? In the later evening Ray was about to go to bed when he heard the soft sound of singing. He figured Mariah was trying to ease Kai into a peaceful sleep. For a moment Ray believed Mariah's singing had worked but that belief shattered when he heard crying. Stepping into Kai's room, Ray found Mariah trying to comfort the crimson eyed orphan while he tried his hardest to push her away. "Mariah? What's going on?" "One minute Kai's drifting to sleep the next he freaks out." "I think you might've caused a memory to surface. Stand back, Mariah. Give him space." Mariah did as she was told with much reluctance, standing by the door. Kai wept into his pillows, not caring to be silent. Ray carefully set a hand on Kai's back only to have the boy latch onto him like a leech. Ray pitied the boy. He knew the pain of losing family, after all. Kai's whimpering eased as Ray rubbed a soothing circle on his spine, stroking his silky hair. "M-Matia…" "Sshh we'll find her. Your mom wouldn't want to see you like this. You've gotta be strong now, Kai. For her. And for your uncle who got you out of Russia." Mariah watched fondly as Kai slowly drifted to sleep against Ray's chest, tears drying. Soon all you could hear was Kai's soft breathing. Ray settled the boy's head down on the puffy pillows and settled the covers on his shoulders. Turning the light down low, Ray retreated from the bed and closed the door a little. He faced Mariah with worry in his eyes. "I noticed you didn't promise, Ray." "It would've been an empty promise, Mariah. I couldn't do that to him. With any luck he'll be better in the morning."

Ray woke to the sound of rain the next morning, and a head on his chest. Looking down, he saw Kai fast asleep. 'When'd he climb in here? Well it's good job I don't sleep nude.' Ray's thoughts went out the window when Brooklyn appeared at the door soaking wet. "Brooklyn did you forget your umbrella again?" "No. I parked closer to the door and still got soaked." Ray rolled his eyes and slid out of bed. Perusing through his wardrobe, he found a shirt and some trousers that would fit Brooklyn shortly followed by some boxers from the bedside drawers. "Here you fool. Get changed before Kai wakes up." Brooklyn didn't respond verbally, taking the opportunity to flirt with Ray while nobody was looking. Sadly this led to Ray sitting at the table with a very noticeable bulge in his trousers, earning him a scolding from Mariah, Brooklyn too. Afterwards they spent the day indoors either watching TV or playing scrabble to test Kai's English. Deep down, Ray had a gut feeling something was going to happen soon and it wasn't good for him or Kai. Ray made sure to give Mariah and Brooklyn sergeant Valkov's number in case of emergencies. That night, they were all blissfully unaware of the danger heading their way.

The next morning heralded no surprises. Mariah took to cleaning the house while Ray taught Kai the finer points of horse riding, deaf to the sound of rotor blades drumming in the distance getting closer. Ray knew something was wrong when the other horses started to kick up a fuss but by the time he noticed why, it was too late. A bullet ripped through his left side, knocking him from Odin's saddle. A masked man disembarked from the chopper, grabbed Kai and returned to the airborne contraption. Mariah had heard a bang, arriving once the chopper was out of sight. Once outside she found Ray close to unconsciousness. "Ray!"

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CLIFFHANGER! I know sergeant Valkov isn't Tala but he's related!

Will Ray survive? What will happen to Kai?

Find out in the next chapter


	5. Voltaire

Well here's chapter 5. I apologise if it's a bit short

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5

Voltaire

As luck would have it, Brooklyn arrived just as Mariah got off the phone to the emergency services. "Ray! Mariah, what happened?!" Questioned pinkette looked at Brooklyn with teary eyes, keeping pressure on the bullet wound. "I don't know Brooklyn. I was just cleaning the kitchen when I heard a loud bang. By the time I got here Ray was on the floor and I don't know where Kai is. What if Voltaire had something to do with this?" Brooklyn pulled out his phone and messaged sergeant Valkov, telling him to get an air unit ready and also sent a text to somebody, requesting that they get their fastest boat ready all while storming into the stables. Out of all the horses, Zeus was panicking the most. The black colt bucked as Brooklyn tried to prepare him for riding. "Enough Zeus! Kai's in trouble and I need your help to save him. You're the son of a successful race horse and Kai's father. You don't like me, I know. But Kai needs our help, Zeus." Hearing all that calmed Zeus and he allowed Brooklyn into the saddle without a fuss. Mariah called after Brooklyn but got no response. Chaos ensued in the streets as Zeus ran as fast as his legs would carry him. Up in the sky, Brooklyn could see the black helicopter making its way to the harbour. A few police choppers appeared over head and when he looked up; Brooklyn spotted sergeant Valkov in riot gear nodding to him. An escort of police cars made it easier for Zeus to navigate the roads. "There Zeus, the harbour's just up ahead! C'mon boy!" People watched baffled as a horse surrounded by cop cars raced down the road.

Once in the port, Brooklyn looked for the person he'd messaged, spying a Silver haired man at the dock. Zeus eased to a stop so Brooklyn could dismount. "What the hell Brooklyn?" "Sorry Garland but it's an emergency. Follow that black chopper as best you can and don't lose sight of it." Brooklyn didn't care to put a lifebelt on, crouching at the bow of the boat. Garland kept his trained eyes on the sky, spying some trouble within the craft. "The hell?! Is that boy trying to get out?!" "Keep on it Garland! We're gaining on them!" "What's going on Brooklyn?" "I found that boy about a month ago out cold by the river. Since then he's been with Ray. Just yesterday we learned his grandfather abused him and has being combing Russia trying to find him. I'm not gonna let those fiends take Kai back to that monster." Looking back to the chopper Garland's eyes grew deathly wide. "He's gonna jump! Hang on Brooklyn; I have to use the second engine to get us closer. Usually I don't like the speed boost but that kid will drown if he lands wrong." Brooklyn did as he was told, gripping the seat he crouched by as a hefty oomph sent the boat jetting through the water at blinding speed. As Garland predicted, Kai made a leap of faith out the helicopter, or rather he was unintentionally pushed. The boat wasn't too far away so Garland swerved it to a stop while Brooklyn dove in and swam as fast as he could to reach the struggling boy. Gunfire made the situation all the more desperate. Brooklyn clamped his arms around Kai upon reaching him but as he did so, a bullet tore the skin of his left arm as it passed, leaving a burning scrape behind. Brooklyn didn't let the injury thwart him, using his good arm to swim back to Garland's boat. He was joined in the vessel by sergeant Valkov whom threw a rope out. "Help me pull, now." Garland didn't dare ignore the order, his muscular hands developing a firm grip on the rope.

Kai's captors gave up their quarry as the opposing choppers fired at them mercilessly. Once in the safety of the boat, Brooklyn passed out from the pain. While Garland concentrated on getting them back to shore, sergeant Valkov did what he could to stop Brooklyn's arm from getting infected before he could receive medical treatment. At the hospital, Mariah was waiting for news on Ray's condition, Max beside her. About half an hour later a doctor approached them, the same one that treated Kai's injuries. "Ms. Wong and Mr. Mizahura?" "Here. Is Ray gonna be okay Doc?" "If Ms. Wong hadn't of been so quick getting to him he'd be close to death. Thankfully though he'll be fine with lots of bed rest. For now he will be provided with crutches to walk on should the need arise. Might I ask why he was shot?" Mariah was nervous about answering and the doctor noticed. "Let us talk in private then, if it'll make you more comfortable." "I want to see Ray first. Please." The doctor sighed, leading the duo down blindingly white halls that reeked of disinfectant. They arrived in a private room where Ray was being kept. So far his vitals were strong, ribs and lower body coated in fresh bandages. Mariah sat by the bed and gripped Ray's hand tightly. "Well? I already know about the boy so don't be shy." "That boy is the reason Ray is stuck in this bed! Somebody, I don't know who, shot him with intent to kill." "But why would somebody shoot Ray just to get Kai?" "Because his grandfather is a deranged psychopath." All eyes turned to the door where sergeant Valkov stood with folded arms. "Will he survive, doctor?" "Y-Yes sergeant. With plenty of bed rest and TLC, Mr. Kon will be back on his feet in no time." "Good. Because in a month or so he'll have to stand up in court against a dangerous foe." "I beg your pardon?" "Voltaire Hiwatari will make himself known."

Mariah and Max looked at each other moments before Ray started showing signs of life. He groaned and winced, lifting a hand to rub at his aching forehead. Slowly opening his eyes, Ray was almost blinded. "Where…am I?" "Ray? You're at the hospital. Take it easy, you're gonna be okay." "Hospital?" For a minute or so Ray seemed to have no idea why he was in a hospital bed until a glimpse of the chopper dashed across his eyes. "Kai?!" "He's fine, Mr. Kon." "Sergeant Valkov? But how?" The answer provided itself when Brooklyn appeared at the door with his arm in a sling, Kai clinging to the hospital gown he wore. Other than a few bruises Kai seemed unharmed physically. He pounced towards Ray the first chance he got. "Batia!" "Kai! Thank god you're safe. I would never forgive myself if something bad happened to you." "Well you owe me Ray. You're not the only one who got shot today." Ray's eyes drifted to Brooklyn's grazed arm, wondering what the redhead had gone through to save Kai. "It's not serious. Just a scratch." Brooklyn hissed in pain when sergeant Valkov softly pressed his finger near the wound. "A scratch you say? You didn't see it from my point of view kid. A few degrees more and that bullet would've gone into your arm." "I'm fine, cop." "Can you boys please get along? I think my injury is more serious, don't you?" There was a laugh in Ray's tone, indicating mockery and it earned him a half slap from Brooklyn. "All right wise guy cut it out. I'd better go and put Garland's mind at ease. No doubt he's pacing in the waiting room." Brooklyn had no chance to leave the room as said Silver haired male arrived beside sergeant Valkov. "Brooklyn?" "I'm fine, Garland. So is Kai. Thanks to you." Brooklyn's words made Garland blush dark pink. Ray gave a slight nod when Garland looked at him, wincing as he tried to sit up.

Within a few days Ray was out of hospital. Kai rarely strayed far from Ray though now had a fondness for sticking to Brooklyn whenever Ray had to leave the room. Mariah did what she could to help Ray recover as he refused to sit around in a bed all day. Nadine hadn't visited with the girls for a while and this made Ray very worried. After two weeks, sergeant Valkov delivered grim news. Voltaire Hiwatari was coming to Japan for the court case that had been made. Sergeant Valkov hoped that losing the hometown advantage would help Ray to win the battle. Out of everyone, Brooklyn was the most nervous about attending. He didn't like court hearings when children were concerned. Mariah and Max were going along for support.

By the first week of the next month, the court hearing was due to start. Ray prayed it would take no more than a day with all the evidence sergeant Valkov had compiled. On the day, it was clear to see Kai's unease. At midday everyone gathered in the court room. Kai would be kept by the judges' stand for the duration of the trial. Ray's hands shook as he stood beside Brooklyn and the best attorney he could afford but he wasn't afraid. Or was he? Did Ray place the blame on his injury so not to dent his pride? The large double doors opened and everyone risked a glance to see who had come in. Into the room came an old man with gray hair with a white stripe running through the middle and cold auburn eyes. Ray did not like the look of this man. When their eyes met, war was immediately waged. Sergeant Valkov leaned closer to Ray and whispered to him that the old man was their enemy, Voltaire Hiwatari. Nobody was seated when the judge appeared at his stand and sat when told. 'This is it.' Ray told himself. 'Now we'll see just how much pressure the old crone can handle.' Unfortunately Ray was called up to the stand first.

Ray answered all the questions truthfully, resisting the urge to punch the purple haired lawyer representing Kai's grandfather. Next it was Brooklyn's turn. He stuttered a little but otherwise did fine, giving his answers as honestly as he could. With Ray's side questioned Voltaire was up next. Sergeant Valkov watched intently as Voltaire was questioned, restraining himself from objecting too soon. The time came however when Voltaire turned an accusing finger at Ray for harming his only living grandson. Mr. Dickenson was at the hearing and it had been him to object to the accusation. So far Ray was keeping his cool, but how much longer could he take the pressure Voltaire was purposefully applying? There was a ten minute recess and sergeant Valkov was pleased with the progress. He'd seen no signs that the judge had been bribed. When the hearing resumed ten minutes later however, something had changed. Voltaire looked far too snug from where he was standing. The slamming of the gavel twenty minutes later after more questions were asked signified the trial was over. "I hereby declare custody of Kailer Ienzo Hiwatari goes to his only known relative, Voltaire Rasputin Hiwatari." Nobody could believe it. The judge had shown signs of disgust towards Voltaire after hearing everything Kai had been put through, so why now suddenly change his tone? Sergeant Valkov didn't like it one bit. He grouped Ray, Brooklyn, Max and Mariah at one side of the room to discuss what had happened but Brooklyn was not taking things well, especially when Kai was dragged away by Voltaire's associate. "Why don't you ask Kai what he wants?! Nobody ever cares about the child where custody is concerned!" "Brooklyn that's enough. We've lost." Brooklyn could not believe Ray was willing to lie down and give up. "No Ray. It isn't fair for Kai to be forced into going with him."

The judge appeared to want to consider the suggestion but one look from Voltaire kept him silent. Kai was not allowing himself to be taken willingly, kicking the man holding him in the shin and tried running to Ray, whose back was turned. Voltaire was quick to catch Kai by the arm and backhanded him sharply across the face. Ray stood trembling with anger and remorse as he heard Kai screaming for him. Max had to hold Brooklyn tightly otherwise he would've done something stupid. Once Voltaire was out of the room, Ray allowed himself to collapse, his energy spent. Mr. Dickenson pitied his best therapist, giving his shoulder a supportive squeeze. "Mr. Dickenson, I need to speak with you. Privately." "Very well m'boy. Let us go to my office and we'll talk there. Thank you, sergeant Valkov. For everything you've done." Said man was growling at himself in frustration and pacing angrily, trying to figure out what had gone wrong. Not long after Ray left with Mr. Dickenson, a security guard approached sergeant Valkov. "Excuse me sir, but I have troubling news to report. Please come with me to the surveillance room." Something didn't feel right but sergeant Valkov went with the man anyway. Arriving at the surveillance room, nothing happened. "What is it man?" "I was playing back the tape from the recess as I usually do and I found something very troubling, sir. Have a look for yourself." Sergeant Valkov kept his guard up as he looked to the screen. It clearly depicted Voltaire and his right hand man threatening the judge to sway the case his way. "Mudaki! Thank you, officer. I must go now with haste before that fiend gets away with perverting the court of justice." Surprisingly, sergeant Valkov was not stopped as he sprinted to find Brooklyn. He caught him about to leave the building. "Brooklyn!" "Huh? Sergeant? What's wrong?" "I need your help one last time."

The drive to Mr. Dickenson's office was silent. The portly man wanted to console Ray but couldn't find the right words. They walked to the elevator in silence, then to the office. "Sit down, Ray. You'll do yourself no good standing." Ray didn't argue, easing himself into the comfiest armchair he could see. Mr. Dickenson made a couple of drinks, setting one in front of Ray. "Now what is it you wish to talk about m'boy?" "Mr. Dickenson, as of today, I'm handing in my notice." "What?! B-but…" "It's killed me to do it all these years, Mr.D but I've lied to you. Not about my qualifications. But my sexual orientation. I'm gay. And I've been in a relationship with Brooklyn since university. And I just…I can't take this pain any longer." "Ray?" "In recent months I've found myself getting attached to the children and I know I'm not supposed to. But seeing three boys whom I care dearly for walk out of my life has caused a…a rift. I'm sorry but I just can't be a therapist anymore." Mr. Dickenson allowed everything Ray had told him to sink in all while watching the oriental male releasing his pent up agony. "Ray." He said with a soft sigh. "I already knew about you and Brooklyn. It doesn't matter to me whether you're interested in girls or not. I worked with Brooklyn after his parents broke up and he was forced to live with his father because the man had a better financial situation. Brooklyn's mother wasn't even allowed visitation. After the trial she vanished. That's why Brooklyn refused to accept the judges' decision. Kai was happy with you, loved you even. And he's been taken away from that comfort. It was the same for Brooklyn. He wanted to stay with his mother, the parent who really loved him. Are you…sure you won't reconsider Ray? I'll have a hard time replacing you." "No Mr.D. I won't reconsider. I'm sorry." "I understand. Do keep in touch, Ray. If you ever want to come back, there's a place for you."

Out in the streets sirens could be heard wherever you turned. Wind ripped through Brooklyn's hair as he once again chased after the boy he'd grown to love as a son. Zeus's nostrils flared with every breath, pushing himself to the limit to catch up to Voltaire. Garland would be waiting at the docks ready to pursue their target from the water. Voltaire had gotten a comfortable lead and if reports were to be believed, his private chopper was heading towards the harbour. By the time Brooklyn got there, sergeant Valkov had arranged a full on assault, including a police boat. They devised a plan, Garland's trusty speedboat strung to the bigger vessel. Brooklyn was in no condition to be swimming so he agreed to let sergeant Valkov claim the role. They pursued the chopper for almost two hours until the navy had to be called in for assistance as the chase breached open waters. All the while, Brooklyn worried for Kai's safety. He grew even more nervous when the order to shoot the chopper down was given. The navy ship took aim as the police boat kept pace with the chopper. Garland and sergeant Valkov were waiting for the all clear to head out. Up in the aircraft, Kai endlessly struggled against the ropes binding him. Voltaire was taking no chances after how the kidnapping failed. Numerous times Voltaire had either told Kai to sit still or belted him across the face. The most recent physical punishment had put Kai on his side and he soon took advantage of it. He was able to move close enough to the open door to see a whole squadron chasing the chopper. The helicopter door hadn't always been open. It had gotten warm inside so the door was opened a touch. A sudden swerve opened it fully and Kai nearly fell out if Voltaire's assistant hadn't grabbed him. Gunfire was audible and aimed at the fleeing craft.

The navy vessel wasn't ignored for long. An explosion caused Kai's eyes to widen. He kicked out at the man restraining him and lunged as best he could to get out moments before the back propeller was taken out. Brooklyn's heart raced wildly as he watched Kai plummeting from the great height, praying the thick coating of ropes would protect him. Garland's boat could be seen closing in on where Kai would land while the stricken helicopter spiralled out of control, crashing into the water some distance away. A secondary police boat moved in to make the arrest while Kai was retrieved from the freezing water. Night was drawing in. To Brooklyn's horror, Kai was not breathing when he was brought to the bigger vessel. Sergeant Valkov wasted no time, performing CPR.

Some way into the night, Ray was fast asleep. Mariah worried so much she stayed awake to watch him no matter how heavy her eyes got. She'd drank several cups of black coffee just to stay awake long enough to hear the front door opening and closing. Mariah took the risk of leaving Ray's side to see what was going on. She worried Voltaire had sent somebody to finish Ray off. Arriving in the living room Mariah could scarcely believe her golden eyes. Two figures were barely visible on the sofa. She dashed upstairs with all her speed and roused Ray from his slumber gently. "Wha? What time's it?" "Ray you've gotta come see this! Come on get up!" Ray couldn't fathom what all the fuss was about but he did as Mariah told him, albeit groggily. He navigated the stairs with clumsy ease, still tired from the day's events. Mariah stayed close by with a candle to light the way so Ray didn't trip. "Seriously Mariah, what gives? It's the middle of the night." Questioned pinkette only urged Ray to hurry, avoiding his question entirely. Once in the living room, Ray stopped still in disbelief at what he saw.

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Oh no! Did Kai survive? Well you'll just have to find out in the next chapter. I was going to make this the last one but there was so much I wanted to add in that got left out. Hang tight and I'll have chapter 6 ready soon


	6. All Grown Up

As promised here's chapter 6. 7 is underway so hang onto yer hats it might take a while.

A big thank you for all the reviews, it really does give me the push I need to keep writing

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6

All Grown Up

Thirteen long years went by after the chase. Voltaire was arrested on numerous charges but if all went wrong, he'd be out of prison soon. Ray and Brooklyn now worked together. Brooklyn had opened up a rescue shelter for cats and dogs, never putting a healthy animal down while Ray helped to treat traumatized animals. He treated children on occasion but not often. Only the most serious cases were sent his way. They had a daughter together but she was Ray's twin from head to toe, aged thirteen. Max and Mariah had gotten married shortly after the Asian lass found work as Mr. Dickenson's assistant. She still cleaned Ray's house on weekends for a little extra income as they had a son. Ray's ranch was also a retreat for various animals like race horses. In fact, Zeus had sired one recently just before his death. You couldn't tell the colt from his father in looks or personality. They were one and the same. Sadly Shelinda passed away after contracting a virus but left plenty of heirs. Odin had also passed on, leaving a big hole in Ray's heart. There had been no word of Syldra or Cryska for a long time but contact was eventually established about two to three years ago thanks to the fourth and third eldest resident of the ranch. It appeared the sisters had been adopted by a single woman who moved to Texas shortly after the girls entered her care. Demi Rovado was a lovely woman with Jade green hair and yellow eyes. After the arrest of Voltaire, sergeant Valkov moved to Japan with his son, Yuriy. No matter which way you looked at them, they were twins.

It was a calm Saturday around eleven in the morning. Ray, Brooklyn and their daughter were in the stands at the local race track. The eldest teen that lived with them was making their racing debut today as was their mount, Zeus's son, Persius. The sun was shining high and softly in the sky. Ray glanced to Brooklyn when his lover turned husband winced. Brooklyn's stomach was visibly swollen. The girl rolled her eyes as her parents flirted a little before three attractive women approached their table. One of them was Demi and the younger ones twins. Ray had to admit, Syldra and Cryska had become fine young adults. Syldra's plum purple hair reached the back of her knees, green eyes shining. Cryska, now aged seventeen, had shorter hair, reaching her mid back. Ray greeted the ladies and invited them to sit down as the race was about to start. Peering through his binoculars, Ray spotted the rider they were there to watch, little spikes of grey hair peeking out from under the helmet. Persius half bucked behind the other horses and Brooklyn instinctively grasped Ray's hand. "He'll be fine love." Ray soothed, rubbing his thumb over the back of Brooklyn's hand. "Have a little faith. I helped to train Persius so he'll calm down. Now relax. It's not good for the baby if you panic too much." Most people resented the idea of a man carrying and giving birth to a child. But Ray and Brooklyn didn't care. They were happy. A bell's shrill cry signalled the start of the 1800m race and Ray trained his eyes on the black/red silks of Persius's rider. The black colt kept to the back of the pack, preserving his stamina. Brooklyn's grip on Ray's hand increased the closer Persius got to the final stretch. Down on the track, Persius's rider showed him the whip but did not strike the horse. "C'mon boy. Show 'em what you got." Persius didn't argue, making his move.

The crowd went wild as the herd of twelve horses turned the final corner. Persius shot through the ranks unchallenged, his rider occasionally showing him the whip still existed. He crossed the line neck and neck with a chestnut stallion but Persius's rider saw his horses' muzzle crossed the line first and pre-emptively celebrated. The officials called a photo finish, declaring Persius the winner. Ray, Brooklyn, their daughter, Demi and the twins made their way down to the winners' circle where Persius was posing quite obviously. He knew he'd won, standing tall and proud as photographers took his picture. The winning rider didn't care to show off until he saw Syldra. With energy to burn, he stood on the saddle and back flipped onto the floor, wowing the crowd. Ray didn't care that the rider was coated in mud, pulling him into a hug filled with pride. "You did it, Kai. I knew you could." Nobody knew how Kai had survived the fall from Voltaire's chopper, believing a miracle had been at work. Ray had adopted Kai shortly before he and Brooklyn got engaged. As the years had gone by, Kai slowly stopped calling Ray batia. He knew Ray was not his biological father but had been the only one he'd truly ever known. The single picture Kai had of his parents was quite damaged, particularly around their faces so he had no idea which one he looked like. All Kai knew was that he had his father's hair. Despite no longer seeing Ray and Brooklyn as his parents Kai loved their daughter like his own sister. Nobody dared to upset the girl when Kai was in range. The last boy to do so had received a thorough beating. Kai allowed himself to be hugged by everyone but Demi and Cryska before heading off to get changed. Some of the other jockeys congratulated him on his winning debut but others loathed the idea that they'd lost to a rookie.

Everyone was happy when the ranch came into view. Once inside, Kai and Syldra vanished upstairs and Ray knew exactly what that meant. Usually Ray preferred his daughter to be outdoors whenever Kai and Syldra had plans for the bedroom, not wanting her to grow curious about such behaviour but it looked like today would be the day she'd finally find out. Other than a bit of light banging there was no other sound. "Don't worry Ray." Brooklyn soothed. "Kai knows the rules. Keep it down or don't take it out. I know you don't want Rin being exposed to such behaviour and neither do I but we can't expect Kai to live like a nun." Rin had been out of the room during the brief one sided conversation, making drinks for everyone. "What are you muttering about now, daddy?" "Nothing you should poke your nose into, Rinoa." Rin scoffed, hating the usage of her full first name. There always seemed to be a love/hate relationship between Brooklyn and Rin that Ray found amusing. Brooklyn had not carried Rin so he wasn't as close to her as Ray was. "Come now you two, we have guests so behave yourselves. Don't worry yourself over it, Rin." "If you say so, pop." Ray squeaked a little as Rin sat herself between him and Brooklyn, making her pregnant father quite annoyed and it showed on his face. Ray was not blind to Rin's behaviour, wanting him all to herself and it had to stop before Brooklyn snapped. It was rare that Rin gave Brooklyn any affection. Ray had always thought it was because Rin got some stick at school for being the child of two men, resenting the one who had not birthed her. Or maybe it was because Brooklyn had not always been there when she was a child, often at the animal shelter looking after the cats and dogs there. Ray couldn't remember the last time Rin hugged her father, positioning her to do so.

Sadly Brooklyn didn't seem to want the attention, pushing himself off the sofa and leaving the room. The slamming of a door followed shortly after Brooklyn's departure and Ray sighed. He hated how Brooklyn's mood swung. But then his had been no better thirteen years ago, especially when he'd been close to giving birth. "Rin." Ray sighed. "This has got to stop. You can't keep coming between me and your father." "But I'm not." "Yes you are. Every time we try to sit together you always put yourself between us and it's not fair." "But he was always at work before I started big school. At the dinner table he'd ignore me when I asked how his day had been." "He let you adopt Pippin as an apology. You're not banned from the rescue center. What would you do if I had to go out to work and left you with a complete stranger? Kai has to go to university, Mariah and Max have no time to spare in the week to look after you." Rin bowed her head down to hide the tears that were developing just as Kai walked in fresh out of the shower, wearing only trousers. He sighed upon seeing his step sister upset. "That fight again?" "No Kai. Rin's got it into her head that Brooklyn doesn't love her." "I did notice your bedroom door slamming again. No explanation needed. Perhaps if Rin made more of an effort this wouldn't keep happening. Go on." Kai gestured to the door with his wet haired head. "Go have your luxury time. I can handle the midget." It always infuriated Rin when Kai teased her about her height considering he was about seven feet tall, towering Ray and Brooklyn both. Ray was a little reluctant but he eventually left the room. Kai stood with folded arms, his eyes on Rin. True he loved her but she got under his skin quite often when the marriage of her parents was at risk. Although Kai never showed it, he cared for the couple that had taken him under their wing.

Demi left with the sisters some twenty minutes later but Syldra didn't get away without being mauled by Kai first. With them gone, it was just Kai and Rin left in the family room. The air was thick with tension as Kai sat opposite Rin, intent on giving her a good talking to. "Y'know Rin. I used to have the same impression of Brooklyn. He was never around much even before I was adopted. But when I needed him, he was there. Ray got shot thirteen years ago by people who tried to kidnap me. It was Brooklyn who took the initiative and chased the helicopter down. It's a bit foggy but I remember a court hearing when my deranged grandfather came to reclaim me "legally". I was forced to go with him because he'd threatened the judge. But Brooklyn refused to stand down. There's more to your father than you know, Rin. He saved me twice and I can never repay him enough." "So then why does he ignore me?" "Brooklyn is…scarred. I don't know all the details but there were problems with his parents and he was pushed into living with a father who had no love for him. I think…Brooklyn is scared that he won't be a good father to you, Rin. Those little gifts you used to find at the foot of your bed were not from Ray. He felt bad about ignoring you out of fear." Hearing everything Kai had to say made Rin feel terrible. With his point made, Kai comforted the young teen, urging her to release the pent up stress. "I'm sorry brother. I didn't…" "It's all right. Sometimes actions speak louder than words, Rin. Puberty is a bitch, I know. I've already been there, remember. Now I think it's time you formally apologised to Brooklyn. Come on." "W-Where are you taking me?" "Out. A simple cup of tea won't mend his broken heart. Trust me, I know." Rin didn't know if she should trust Kai but got ready to go out anyway.

The outing didn't last long but by the time it ended, Rin was exhausted. Some people had cast suspicious looks at the siblings whenever they went into a particular type of store. They returned home to see no sign of Ray anywhere and this was enough to unnerve Kai. He took a peek out back but still no luck. "Kai?" "Something's off. Ray would never leave Brooklyn alone. Not in his condition." In the kitchen the duo found a note in Ray's handwriting. It said he'd nipped out to the shelter to see how things were doing and that Brooklyn shouldn't be disturbed. Kai showed blatant disregard toward the note, taking Rin upstairs with care not to make any noise. In the master bedroom they found Brooklyn fast asleep under the bed sheets. It looked like he'd been crying. Kai set the bags gently on the bed while Rin went to put the kettle on. Kai also checked if Brooklyn was wearing anything, relieved to see a pair of leaf green pyjama bottoms. When Rin returned she set a cup down on the night stand before Kai picked her up and put her in the bed. They both froze when Brooklyn shifted a little but to their relief he didn't wake up. "The hell are you doing?" Kai didn't answer. He just left the room on tiptoes and closed the door. For a few minutes Rin sat awkwardly beside her father until she realised why Kai had put her there. Brooklyn's eyes fluttered open when he felt an arm snaking over his chest, immediately noticing the cup on the table. Brooklyn rolled over slightly to see a mop of spiky black hair, immediately thinking Ray was home so he rolled over properly and almost had a heart attack. Rin had found no problem falling asleep against Brooklyn's warm back, her eyes closed softly. Looking across the bed Brooklyn saw all the bags, a note attached to one. Tears welled up in Brooklyn's eyes as he read the note written by his daughter but he wasn't upset.

Ray returned home about ten minutes later looking like a tornado had hit him. The silence made him very uneasy despite knowing Brooklyn was resting. Kai and Rin had always been respectful about requests for silence. Ray told himself he was just being paranoid, quietly walking up the stairs. What he saw in his and Brooklyn's room shocked him. Rin and Brooklyn were all cosied up under the blankets, the bags untouched. Ray found the note and within seconds of reading it, he understood. 'Kai.' Ray decided to leave his lover and daughter in peace, set on finding Kai to hug the life out of him. Unfortunately for Ray Kai had a very keen sixth sense where affection was involved and when he sensed it coming from a man he'd run from it. Ray looked everywhere for his crimson eyed son but to no avail yet sensed he was nearby. "You know I will catch you, right? You're taller but in most cases I'm faster, Kai." Kai was in fact cowering up on the roof, watching as Ray ventured back inside. With his step father gone, Kai made his way to the stables to check on the horses. Nothing seemed out of place so Kai warily went back into the house. "Get in here young man." Despite being on high alert the call still made Kai flinch. He walked into the kitchen, finding Ray at the table. There was no anger visible in Ray's eyes. Kai tensed when Ray stood up, approaching him slowly. "You're not in trouble, I promise. Come 'ere." Kai stood firm, rooted to where he was and Ray sighed. He'd grown used to this behaviour a long time ago. Ray kept his eyes peeled for any sign that Kai might bolt but to his surprise he just stood there. Kai visibly flinched as Ray's arms snaked around his waist. "Thank you for getting through to Rin. I don't know what I'd do without you, Kai. How'd you do it?" "Told her my story in as few words as possible."

A few days went by after Rin gained understanding of Brooklyn's behaviour. Ray could definitely see a difference in his daughter, truly grateful to have Kai in his life. Today there was a small concert at the university Kai attended. He, Yuriy and three others had a small band and would be performing. They were the main attraction. In the early afternoon the concert kicked off with an announcement from the music teacher. Brooklyn, Ray and Rin could hardly tear their eyes from the stage as Kai and his group set up. On drums was a burly young man aged about twenty one with spiked up dark blonde hair and blue eyes. At the keyboard stood a short teen no older than eighteen with indigo blue hair, red eyes and a large nose. Beside Kai and Yuriy on guitars was a lilac haired lilac eyed lad who looked to be about nineteen. At current the band had no original material, covering songs by a group called RED. The playlist started with Already Over, followed by As You Go. Kai appeared to be the lead singer with Yuriy a close second. Ray and Brooklyn were filled with pride as the songs went on. Sergeant Valkov was also there, recording the event. Max and Mariah weren't too far away with their son, Reno. He had shoulder length red hair and gold eyes just like his mom. It was no secret that the boy had a huge crush on Rin, sitting next to his raven haired cousin fondly. The next song, Fight Inside, was quite symbolic for Kai as he often battled with his inner demons behind closed doors. His only releases were through music or horse riding. Glass House came next and after that, a snack break. While the boys refreshed themselves a girl band took center stage. When they came back, Ray noticed something was rather off with how Kai looked. Usually he'd be stone faced but now you could see the emotion in his eyes. 'Kai, what's wrong? You're never like this.'

Try as he might, Ray couldn't find the answer. So far the songs had gone in alphabetical order but that completely changed when Lie To Me (Denial) floated onto the air. Ray exchanged worried glances with Brooklyn, unsure of what was going on. He'd worked with Kai to sort the playlist out so why change it? Was Kai trying to tell him something? Ray shook his head, thinking he was reading too much into it. For all he knew, the others might not have liked the line up. After Lie To Me came Let It Burn and So Far Away. When Kai put his guitar down to sit on a stool, Ray finally understood why Kai looked so broken all of a sudden. 'He remembers.' Ray's thoughts were shattered when Kai could be heard clearing his throat for attention. "Listen up everyone. This next song is something of a tribute. Many of you have asked me numerous times why I'm the way I am and I gave you no answer because honestly, there wasn't one to give that fit. Perhaps this song will help you to finally understand me as a person. I'm not looking for sympathy or pity. Only to be understood. So here it is, RED's Hymn for the Missing." Ray didn't fail to notice Kai looking directly at him as the boy at the keyboard got the next song going. Did Kai blame him for telling an empty lie? Would Ray be confronted about it later? These thoughts filled Ray with panic. Kai's bark was worse than his bite sometimes. Brooklyn gave Ray's hand a squeeze to ease his clear nerves. Further at the front, Syldra and Cryska were sitting with Demi. They couldn't understand what Kai was going on about. He'd never been open about his past so him opening up about it came as quite a surprise, especially for Syldra who constantly begged her lover to be more open and honest. The reason for his unease ran deep and was about to be known to everyone in the hall. Ray felt Kai's pain as the song properly began.

"_Tried to walk together, but the night was growing dark_

_Thought you were beside me_

_But I reached and you were gone_

_Sometimes I hear you calling from some_

_Lost and distant shore_

_I hear crying softly for the way it was before_

_Where are you now?_

_Are you lost? _

_Will I find you again?_

_Are you alone, are you afraid?_

_Are you searching for me?_

_Why did you go?_

_I had to stay_

_Now I'm reaching for you_

_Will you wait, will you wait?_

_Will I see you again?_

_You took it with you when you left _

_These scars are just a trace_

_Now it wanders lost and wounded_

_This heart that I misplaced_

_Where are you now?_

_Are you lost? _

_Will I find you again?_

_Are you alone, are you afraid?_

_Are you searching for me?_

_Why did you go?_

_I had to stay_

_Now I'm reaching for you_

_Will you wait, will you wait?_

_Will I see you again?"_

Only a piano and violins could be heard after that with some soft moaning as the song slowly came to an end. Ray knew the song was about the night Kai lost his mother, guilt eating him up inside. There had been no sign of Mrs. Hiwatari or her brother and Ray felt horrible. The band took a brief break, returning with Perfect Life but the sadness was still there in Kai's crimson eyes. Another break followed the song as it seemed Kai was losing his sanity after opening up to a hall full of people. Ray and Brooklyn hoped he'd be feeling better after the concert.

The final song to play was Same Disease. Brooklyn's eyebrows twitched as he felt the baby becoming active. A couple of girls were sat in front of him and Ray, muttering that Syldra didn't deserve Kai. They froze when Brooklyn leaned forwards in his seat and spoke with malice towards them. "Syldra deserves him more than you do. You have no idea of the hell she went through." "Ugh stop talking to us you bender." The insult angered, upset and caused Brooklyn to go into labour. Luckily he was sat close to the exit of the hall. Ray saw the signs immediately, helping Brooklyn onto his feet while asking Mariah and Max to watch Rin. On stage, Kai noticed his adoptive fathers leaving the hall. He felt mildly disheartened but realised soon enough that the baby was coming. The drive to the hospital was nothing short of hellish. A familiar face was waiting for Ray and Brooklyn when they got there. "Dr. Yusopov?" "Sergeant Valkov told me you were coming. Hurry now." Ray didn't argue, following Dr. Yusopov down the halls with Brooklyn leaning on him. While Brooklyn was settled onto a bed, Ray scrubbed up before grabbing his lover's hand tightly. Soon Brooklyn was under anaesthetic, his face peaceful. Ray did not watch as an opening was made to remove the baby, muttering quietly in Chinese, praying for everything to be okay. At the university, Rin had latched onto Kai backstage the first chance she got. His friends looked mildly concerned that the girl might suffocate him. "Calm down Rin." Kai soothed, stroking the girl's hair softly. "It'll be all right." "Dude, what's going on?" Kai turned to the lilac haired teen that was standing nearby, hands behind his head. "Bryan, you're aware I live with a gay couple correct?" "Yeah so?" "Brooklyn is pregnant. The baby is on its way." "But how?" "Science does many wonders, Bryan."

Rin calmed down enough to sit down but refused to stray far from her adoptive big brother, leaving him no choice but to keep close. He did catch the girl muttering about two girls who had said something about Syldra which set Brooklyn off. Rin was able to point the girls out so Kai paid them a little visit. They didn't look too frightened as Kai pinned the girls to a wall, his eyes like knives. He swatted their hands away when they tried flirting with him. "If anything happens to that baby I'm holding both of you responsible." "B-but Kai." The tallest stuttered. "We didn't do anything." "My sister paints a different picture. She heard you talking trash about my girl, that you insulted Brooklyn when he confronted you. It's YOUR fault he couldn't be here for the whole concert. Now how do you think that makes me feel? That my family had to leave?" The girls didn't say anything whilst their eyes got all watery. "Save your damn crocodile tears for somebody stupid enough to not know a whore when they see one. Now get out of my sight." Kai didn't return to Rin until the girls were out of his line of sight. Rin was always surprised by how protective Kai could be, hugging him tightly. Looking into Rin's eyes, Kai could see how worried she was, heaving a very heavy sigh. "Oh all right. Let's go and see how they're doing. Your father will be furious with us for not staying put." "But you're a grown up too." "Not for another year, Rin. Now move before I change my mind." Rin didn't argue, heading out to the car park. Kai never went in the family car, preferring his red Jaguar XFR S 26. He unlocked the doors so Rin could get in and sat himself in the driver's seat. Although it didn't show, Kai was worried something might go wrong with the caesarean. He fought with himself the whole way without Rin knowing. By the time they got there, Dr. Yusopov was waiting.

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Okay, first off, I DO NOT claim to own these songs, ownership belongs to the band RED. look them up on youtube.

I chose Hymn for the Missing because I felt it really went well with Kai's back-story here. More to come in the next chapter where two familiar faces appear at Ray's door


	7. Familiar Faces

Here's chapter seven as promised. currently working on eight and hope to have it done soon. I estimate that there could be three chapters more after this one with the plans I have.

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7

Familiar Faces

Dr. Yusopov shook Kai's hand and gave Rin an affectionate hug. When asked how Brooklyn was he remained silent, leading the siblings down the halls. Their destination was a private room. In the bed lay Brooklyn still out for the count, Ray beside him muttering to himself. Ray looked up when Rin launched herself at him. "Papa!" "Rin?! What are you doing here?" Kai stepped forward when Ray's gold eyes rested on him. "She wouldn't sit still so what other choice did I have? If I didn't bring Rin here I would've been tortured until she got her way." Thankfully Ray wasn't at all angry, holding Rin tight. All eyes turned to the bed when groaning could be heard. Green eyes creaked open to see bright white walls. Gentle hands stopped Brooklyn when he tried to sit up. "Take it easy love. Don't push yourself." "Ray? What happened?" "You went into labour Brooklyn. Close to the end of the concert no thanks to a couple of whores." Said man looked to see Kai standing nearby, arms tightly folded. "Kai? I'm so sorry." "Don't beat yourself up about it. The baby probably would've come today anyway without somebody to stress you out. You've been irritable all day. There'll be another concert in the future." "But I still feel bad. Us being there meant everything to you, Kai. And don't try to deny it." "Well the boys send their best wishes. I had to break it to Bryan gently." "He always was the slow one." Kai almost burst out laughing but he suppressed the urge into a slight snigger. Brooklyn soon realised his baby wasn't beside him. "The baby…" "Relax. It's fine."

Brooklyn wasn't convinced. He wanted to see with his own eyes that the baby had arrived safely. His wish was granted soon enough as a nurse walked in with a pale blue bundle. "Here we are. You have a healthy little boy. He weighed in at 8lbs 16oz." Brooklyn was helped to sit up in bed so he could hold the infant, grasping him close to his chest once comfortable. The little boy had a thin mop of ginger hair. He waved his chubby little hands when Brooklyn tenderly touched his rosy cheek. "He's so beautiful. Hey little man." Kai watched quietly as Ray and Rin got closer to the new family member, a smitten look on their faces. While they weren't paying attention he snuck out of the room. Despite being a member of the family Kai still felt out of place, like he wasn't welcome. It was a weird feeling that had developed when Rin was born. Dr. Yusopov noticed Kai's uncertainty, pursuing him as he headed to the cafeteria. "Why so eager to leave, Kai?" "Dr. Yusopov? I just. It's none of your concern." "But it is. You feel unwelcome, is that it? Kai, you've never been unwanted with Ray and Brooklyn. They love you like you are their own son." "But I'm not theirs, though. I never was. And I never will be." "Don't be like this. I know you care very deeply for them, and Rin. Why push them away?" "Because in the end I'll just get hurt again." "Again?" Dr. Yusopov didn't like the grim look in Kai's eyes when they looked at each other. "I remember now. The night I was taken away from Russia. My mother was killed trying to protect me and my uncle vanished without a trace. Ray thinks I don't know he's been searching. Thirteen years ago he told me he'd find her. Any hope I had was lost years ago." "Come now don't lose faith." But Kai had lost faith. He knew that to hope for miracles was foolish. For a while Kai sat with a cup of coffee until Ray came looking for him.

Within a week Brooklyn and the baby were allowed home. Aspharr they'd called him. Kai avoided all physical contact with the child. This behaviour was not unusual but it did leave Ray and Brooklyn very concerned. Brooklyn flopped down on the bed with a huff of relief. He hated hospital beds. They left his back all achy and tense. Ray wasn't far behind with Aspharr asleep in his arms. "I see you're glad to be home." "Why wouldn't I be? A week of sitting in a hospital bed with tasteless food is enough to drive even you mad, Ray." "I know. I'll put Aspharr down to sleep so we can get something to eat." "I'm worried about Kai." Looking at Brooklyn Ray saw fear in his green eyes. He let out a deep breath while sitting on the bed next to Brooklyn. "I know love. I am too. He's never been this bad. He knows, I'm sure of it." "Knows what Ray?" "That I lied to him thirteen years ago about finding his mother." "Not promising doesn't make it a lie Ray. Mariah told me that your ears didn't twitch that night when you told Kai you'd find his mom." "That doesn't mean anything. At the end of the day I failed him. Kai has every right to hate me for what I said. A week ago I realised that he remembers the night he was torn from his mother. Kai just wouldn't admit it to our faces. That's why he left Hymn for the Missing so long." Ray shook his worry away and helped Brooklyn to stand up. They found Rin in the kitchen but no sign of Kai. Ray decided it was best to leave Kai alone for a while. After dinner the three of them sat watching television, jumping slightly when the doorbell rang. They weren't expecting company so Ray wondered who it could possibly be. Max and Mariah wouldn't be over for a few days to let Brooklyn settle down with being home. As soon as Ray stood up, Brooklyn spread himself over the sofa, his legs on Rin's lap.

Opening the door, Ray had quite the surprise to see his parents. A while before Rin was born, Ray had reached out to find his mother and father at Mariah's insistence that they must be alive somewhere. They were in fact hiding right under Ray's nose in the city. Ray's mother was a beautiful woman in her late fifties with greying black hair and gold eyes slowly losing their shine. Ray clearly took after her since his father had dark green hair and sage green eyes. "Mom, dad. We weren't expecting you. Come in and I'll get the kettle on." Ray was always uneasy when his father visited. He was an old fashioned man and believed it was a sin for two men to be together. Numerous times he'd tried to split Ray from Brooklyn but one obstacle was always in the way. That bump in Mr. Kon's road was none other than Kai. While Ray's mother was happy to see Rin, his father showed no sign of affection toward the girl, following Ray into the kitchen. "Ray we need to talk." "Dad, I've told you time and time again I'm not leaving Brooklyn." "Just listen to yourself, Ray. You're sick and you need help." Ray almost slammed his hands down on the side if he didn't hear the tell tale sound of Kai zooming down the stairs, soon finding his father pinned to the wall. Mr. Kon looked like a fly trapped in a spider's web with no escape. Ray left his dad to be scolded while he made some drinks. "You again?" "Yes me you old crone. I thought I made myself perfectly clear last time you visited. I warned you that I will not stand for you coming between Ray and Brooklyn." "Why do you care? You're not even their son." Kai caught Ray's father dangerously by the throat, his eyes narrow with anger. "Your son took me in without question. Getting shot in the side did little to sway him. Brooklyn came to my aid when I needed it most. THEY are the only parents I've ever known."

Kai released his grip on Mr. Kon when he caught sight of Rin but the man wasn't getting off that easy. As a secondary warning Kai gave him a black eye that went nicely with his pale skin. Ray had no amount of pity for his father. "If you ever try coming between them again you'll be leaving this house with more than just a black eye old man." "All right Kai, that's enough. Are you feeling okay? You've been quiet all day." "I'm fine. I'll be upstairs if you need me." Kai was gone before Ray could object. He made a brief return when Mr. Kon muttered something unpleasant under his breath, proceeding to throw the man out the front door. With his father gone, Ray felt he could relax. Mrs. Kon said nothing about how her husband was treated. All that mattered to her was Ray's happiness. Brooklyn slept soundly until Aspharr could be heard screaming upstairs. Ray stopped him when he tried to get up. "Rest. I'll get Aspharr before Kai jumps out the nearest window." "Is he really that bad with children, Ray?" Questioned man didn't answer, venturing upstairs to fetch his week old son. He came back with a much calmer Aspharr in his arms. Mrs. Kon fell in love with the boy straight away, slightly bouncing in her seat as Ray set Aspharr down in Brooklyn's arms. "Just wanted some love is all. Would you like anything to eat, mother?" "Just a few biscuits dear. How old is the little one?" "Aspharr's a week old today. He's all Brooklyn much like Rin is identical to me." "He'll be a daddy's boy too I reckon." "Now mother, don't curse us. Where'd Rin go? I hope she's not annoying Kai again." Said girl returned looking defeated, informing Ray without words that she'd tried to convince Kai to come out of his room. "Give him time honey. Kai just needs chance to adjust." "But it's not fair on you and dad. Or Aspharr." "I know darling but we can't change who Kai has become."

Ray's mother didn't stay long, about an hour at the most. Brooklyn had reluctantly allowed his mother-in-law to cuddle Aspharr before she left the house. That night all was quiet. Kai had hoped for a peaceful sleep but his dreams were haunted with what seemed to be lost memories. Kai tossed in his sleep as the night he escaped Russia replayed in his mind.

_**Kai was being carried by a man with black hair and eyes beside a woman whose face was blurred but brown hair lashed violently in the wind. As they arrived at the harbour the woman tripped over while the man set the young Kai in a boat. He called to her but Kai did not hear a name. Only silence. Child Kai screamed at the top of his tiny lungs when a loud bang echoed through the air. The woman who appeared to be his mother had been shot through the chest and was bleeding endlessly. The man called again only for his nephew to hear no words above his own screams. With all the strength she had, the woman called for Kai to be taken away before it was too late, a large hand grasping her matted chocolate brown hair. Without mercy the stranger fired a bullet into the woman's head, dropping her to the floor. "Matia!" Kai struggled to get free from the black haired man but he was too weak and tired from crying. **_

Kai bolted from his sleep with a hardly restrained pained cry, tears leaking from half closed eyes. For weeks now his sleep had been haunted by the same dream over and over. Kai wondered how he ever got any sleep at all. It appeared nobody had heard him waking from his sleep, creeping to the bathroom. Once at the sink Kai splashed his face with some cold water, seeing more than just his reflection in the mirror when he looked up but found nobody upon turning around.

Come morning the sky was clear and the birds all sang a happy song. Kai hadn't slept after waking from the memory he was forced to relive, black bags dark under his bloodshot eyes. Rin had to admit, her brother looked damn scary when he was kept awake. "K-Kai? Are you okay?" Kai did not answer. He simply walked to the counter, grabbed a red apple and left the kitchen. Ray was always up first so he'd already finished breakfast and was sat in the living room when Kai trudged in. "Kai what's the matter? Did Aspharr keep you up last night?" Kai shook his head. Ray couldn't remember Aspharr crying in the night. He was a quiet baby and only made noise when he needed feeding or changing. Kai heaved a hardly hidden sigh when Ray stopped him from leaving the room by holding his tense shoulders. "Talk to me. Is it something we've done? I can't help you if you don't say something, Kai." Brooklyn entered the room in time to see Ray being pushed aside by a sleep deprived Kai who then walked outside. "Ray what's going on?" "I need to call sergeant Valkov. He'll know what to do. Aspharr didn't…cry last night did he?" "He mumbled a little but other than that, no. Why?" "Kai's being kept awake by something and he won't come clean." Brooklyn sighed. He couldn't think of anything that could possibly keep Kai awake. He had no exams coming up to their knowledge. "Let the horses talk to him first. If they can't grant any insight, then you can call sergeant Valkov. Now, where's my morning cuddle gone?" Ray couldn't say no to the pouty look on Brooklyn's face, holding his ginger haired lover tight. They kissed briefly before Rin walked in still looking a bit sleepy. Ray advised his daughter to leave Kai alone for a while until they could figure out what was wrong. She happily agreed, sandwiching Ray on the sofa between her and Brooklyn.

A little later in the day a knock came to the door. Brooklyn was once again fast asleep on the sofa, Aspharr's Moses basket on a rocking stand next to it so he could reach the child easily. Ray was off somewhere in the house which left Rin to answer the caller. Whoever stood outside was being very patient. Rin opened the door to find a strapping young man who was quite tall with shoulder length silverish blue hair and grey eyes. He was about as muscular as Kai, meaning very ripped. For a moment Rin stood blinking, eventually screaming as she slammed the door shut. This in turn woke both Brooklyn and Aspharr from their peaceful slumber. "Who?! Wha?! Where?! Rin what's going on?!" "There's a strange guy at the door." "Well there's rude of you slamming the door in his face. See to Aspharr while I deal with Mr. Mystery." Rin did as she was told but realised she had no idea how to calm a screaming baby. Brooklyn opened the slammed door to find the dashing "stranger" was about to walk away. "Can I help you, young man?" Said young adult turned around and Brooklyn almost had a heart attack. It wasn't a stranger at the door. It was Claude! Taller and almost as handsome as Kai. "Claude? It can't be. Is it really?" "Hey Mr. Brooke. Long time no see." Despite his healing wound Brooklyn threw himself at Claude, pulling Ray's former patient into his arms. Rin risked a glance to see what was happening, finding her father openly crying on this man she did not recognise. Claude was also shedding tears, happy that he hadn't been forgotten. "Where the hell have you been child?" "About ten years ago we moved to Spain when Miguel got a job over there working with horses. We just moved back to Japan last week. I've wanted to come back and see you guys for years but I've been so busy with school and stuff." "You have no idea how worried we've been, Claude. Is Aaron with you?"

Claude nodded, wiping his tears away. He whistled to the Lexus IS300 in the driveway for its passenger to get out. From the car came a taller, buffer Aaron. His hair hadn't changed and the fat he'd had as a child was now muscle. Claude sadly was shorter than Aaron who stood at around 6'08". Claude stood roughly the same height as Brooklyn, 6'04". Aaron also received a fierce hug before he and Claude were pulled by their wrists into the house. They looked around feeling a sense of nostalgia washing over them. Brooklyn hobbled to the sofa and refused to move once sat down. "Rin, be a dear and pop the kettle on." Rin eyed Claude and Aaron briefly before leaving Brooklyn alone with them. Brooklyn could see the boys were confused, currently deaf to Aspharr's screaming. "I'm sorry about Rin. She doesn't take well to strangers." "Is she…?" "My daughter? Yes. Ray's around here somewhere. Probably chasing that bloody poodle again." Sure enough Ray could be heard calling for Rin to sort her dog out, saying something about it having his sash again. Brooklyn couldn't help but laugh a little. It was funny to watch Ray chasing the poodle Rin had adopted. A blur of black bolted through the room and towards the back door, Ray hot on its heels, his face flushed red. It was only then Brooklyn realised Aspharr was still crying. "All right, all right I'm coming. Damn your sister for waking you up. Just settled off too you had. Sit you down boys; Ray'll be back soon no worse for wear I'd hope. I very much want my husband back in once piece." Aaron's face paled but Claude didn't seem the least bit shocked. "H-Husband?" "C'mon Aaron I told you it was going to happen eventually. You owe me 200yen." "Trust you to see through us, Claude." Said teen grinned a cheeky grin that Brooklyn had missed dearly, sitting on the sofa opposite him with Aaron.

Rin returned with a tray supporting five cups, a steaming hot teapot, a milk jug, sugar bowl and some spoons. "Dad, did papa call for me?" "Yes. Pippin has run off with his sash again." Rin face-palmed. She'd tried everything to stop her beloved poodle from stealing Ray's red sashes. The black furred lupine came dashing back into the room as Ray could be heard calling, saying he could chase him all day but in truth, Ray couldn't chase a horse for more than three minutes before collapsing. Lucky for him Kai just so happened to come from the opposite door, headphones in his ears with music blaring. Kai caught hold of the baby blue collar and snatched the soggy red sash from Pippin's jaws. Releasing the dog, Kai revealed a clean red sash from his pocket as Ray came staggering into the room huffing for air. With the clean fabric in hand he walked over to the nearest sofa before his legs gave way. Kai quietly vanished to put the dirty sash in the wash. "Long day Mr. Ray?" 'Nobody called me Mr. Ray except for…' Looking to the opposite sofa Ray found his thoughts completing themselves as he laid eyes on Claude and Aaron. "Claude? Aaron?" "Least you're taking our arrival better. Balling his eyes out your man was." "Then…you know?" Aaron fell silent, leaving Claude to answer. "That you're gay? Yeah I figured it out a few years back. 'Bout three years into high school I saw a couple o' guys who acted just like you two did. Miguel was blunt about it when he explained they were gay." "And you're not the slightest bit disgusted knowing we're like those boys?" Ray wasn't sure he liked the seriousness in Claude's eyes until the lad smiled. "I could never turn on you, Mr. Ray." Both Ray and Brooklyn went bright red in the face making Claude laugh lightly. "It's good to be back. What's new?" "Well Claude I'm not a full time child therapist anymore."

For a good half hour Ray and Brooklyn caught up with Claude and Aaron. Both of them were looking for work but Ray wasn't hiring currently. He considered asking the boys when summer rolled in where he'd be flooded with animals. For now they seemed content to find regular jobs. Rin was left alone with the boys and Aspharr while Ray took Brooklyn up to bed. They sat in silence until Rin's baby brother started wailing again. Claude could see clear as day that Rin had no idea how to handle the little one, carefully moving over to the rocking stand. Rin became immediately protective of Aspharr, her eyes like knives. "It's okay kid. I'm not gonna hurt him. This your first time having a baby in the house? You don't have to be shy. We were in your shoes once. Only our first baby experience came thirteen years ago. Me and Aaron were flabbergasted. We had no idea how to help with the little one. After some observation we got the idea. Here, lemme show you." Rin was very nervous about letting Claude hold Aspharr, unable to stand still. Aaron sat quietly not doing anything, feeling it wasn't his place to do something about Aspharr. Claude then led Rin to the sofa once occupied by her parents and had her sit down. "Which arm is your dominant arm?" "M-My right arm." "Okay, form a sling like shape with that arm, like I'm doing." Rin observed how Claude held his arm and copied the position. "Now I'm gonna set the baby down on that arm. Careful, he's quite heavy." Rin's heart raced wildly as Claude set Aspharr down on her arm, supporting his tiny head as best she could. "Now loop your left arm next to your right to support him better and rock him gently." Rin had seen Ray rocking Aspharr in his arms, mimicking the gesture with a little too much care. "See? It's easy once you know how. What's his name?" "Aspharr." "A little unusual but not beyond your parents."

Rin smiled sweetly. The more she communicated with Claude, the less scary he seemed. Unfortunately for him Kai returned without headphones, immediately seeing a stranger next to his brother and sister. Rin acted without thinking, moving to stop Kai from giving Claude a royal clobbering but in doing so, pressed Aspharr against him and this made Kai flinch quite severely. His eyes were alight with shock and panic. After a few seconds Claude and Aaron recognised this spitfire of a teen. "Kai? Is that you?" Kai did not respond; too busy looking down at the infant in Rin's arms. Claude was no expert in psychology but from where he stood, Kai hadn't had good experiences with babies. That or he had the memory of losing a young sibling. Ray came back only to almost stumble out of the room upon finding Kai in close proximity to Aspharr even though his adoptive son stood as if he'd been turned to stone. "Rin what's going on?" "Papa? Claude had just taught me how to hold Aspharr when Kai came in. If I didn't do something he'd of decked him for sure. Kai bolted back when he felt Aspharr lightly pressed against him and now he won't say anything. His eyes have been fixed on Aspharr." Ray waved his hand in front of Kai's face and that snapped him out of his daze, leaving the room with haste. "Now that is weird. Here I was worried about Kai being near Aspharr." "Mr. Ray, what's going on? From where I'm standing, Kai looked bloody petrified of that baby. Like it would rip his head off at any given moment." "We don't know Claude. Kai wasn't this bad when Rin came along. Sure she might've nipped his finger one time while teething but that can't be the cause. It wouldn't have been traumatic enough. Rin, stay with Aspharr. Now I really do need to contact sergeant Valkov. Horses can't solve this mystery." With that Ray left the room again.

Sergeant Valkov arrived no less than half an hour after being called. He looked quite exhausted. Ray knew the precinct liked to keep their foreign sergeant busy. Claude and Aaron were currently in the kitchen with Rin, insisting they help to wash the dishes. "Sergeant, I'm sorry to call you out at such short notice." "It's fine, Mr. Kon. What is the problem?" "It's Kai. We're at a loss of what to do. First off he's kept awake at night and won't tell us why, then there's now the issue of him behaving oddly around Aspharr. It's come to my attention that Kai has been having flashbacks thanks to Dr. Yusopov and now remembers the night that saw him deprived of his only living parent." Sergeant Valkov folded his muscular arms tightly, his face thoughtful. "You say he's being kept awake?" "Yes. This morning he walked in here looking like a zombie. Probably gave Rin quite a scare." "And who is Aspharr?" "Mine and Brooklyn's son. He was born a week ago, remember?" Sergeant Valkov mentally slapped himself. How could he forget that? Ray offered sergeant Valkov a seat and he gladly took it. "Now, how has Kai behaved around the baby?" "Well he's been distant. Refuses to go near Aspharr willingly. A couple of the boys I treated here years ago came back to visit and when Kai saw Claude near Rin he went into protective big bro mode. Rin was able to stop him giving Claude a good punch but in doing so she unintentionally pressed Aspharr against Kai. He apparently flinched severely and wouldn't take his eyes off of Aspharr until something else got in the way." Sergeant Valkov sighed. His memories of Kai's family were hazy at best but he did remember them having a second child. "Where is Kai now?" "Last Rin saw of him he was up the oak tree out back." "Let me talk to him. He might be more willing to cough up what's troubling him. I'll be back shortly."

Stepping out the back door, sergeant Valkov immediately saw the massive oak tree but no sign of Kai. Walking up to the tree he heard the faint creaking of a branch, casting his gaze skyward to see Kai sitting above him. "Kai?" "Uncle Vladimir?" "Now there's rare of you to call me uncle. Mind if I come up there and catch up with you? Haven't seen you since the concert." Kai shrugged his shoulders, watching fondly as the elder man fumbled to climb the tree, reaching a branch opposite him. "I'm getting too old for this climbing of trees." "I could've come down. You're the one who decided to climb up." "Aye mind that attitude. Get yourself clobbered for it one day boy. Ray's concerned. He has every right to be." Kai huffed in annoyance, figuring that's why sergeant Valkov had come. But he himself had questions that needed answering. "Sergeant. Did my parents ever…have another child?" "Do you remember said sibling?" "I'm…not sure. I'd like to think I wasn't an only child and I sometimes dream of a little boy in my mother's arms who is not me. I kept telling myself it was just a fantasy but then why am I so uneasy around Rin's brother?" "Your dreams are more than that, Kai. They're memories that have been locked away. You had a brother. I believe his name was Kou." Kai blinked, clearly confused. "Was?" "You must understand that my memory is hazy in my old age. Plus I did not spend much time with your father after he got married. Kou was born a month or so after your father was killed. Your mother was so happy, you were too." "So why am I not happy to have another brother?" "Kou went missing. At least, that's the story your mother wove. She told you Kou had died due to a virus. You were devastated at the very least. You were always a dutiful brother, helping to look after Kou even at the age of three. I suspect your uncle had something to do with Kou's disappearance."

Kai wasn't sure how to feel about his uncle. He couldn't remember much about the man other than that he'd taken him away from Russia…and his mother. But that didn't explain why Kai was afraid of the infant…or did it? Was he frightened of losing the boy if he got close to him? Sergeant Valkov could see the cogs of Kai's mind spinning out of control as he tried to make sense of his feelings. "You're afraid." He announced, making Kai flinch. "You've already lost one brother and losing another scares you so badly you refused to acknowledge his existence. I suggest you fight this fear of yours, interact with Aspharr, ignoring the instinct you've developed that screams for you to flee. You were never afraid of Rin. She is not a boy." "No crap captain obvious. She's…really dead isn't she? If my dreams are memories I'd forgotten… or as Ray calls it, traumatic shut down, then there's no way in hell she could survive being shot through the lung and head. It's just not humanely possible." Sergeant Valkov remained silent, becoming distracted when his pager went off. "I have to go now. Promise me you'll at least try to tolerate Aspharr's presence? I'm not saying you have to hold him all day every day. Start with sitting in the same room. Take it one baby step at a time. I'll have to explain to Mr. Kon about our chat you understand. He worries about you when you become withdrawn. Try and be a little more open with him. He's there to help." Kai said nothing, his head bowed down. He yelped in surprise when he was pulled out of the tree and dragged into the building, soon finding himself sat next to Rin and most unfortunately, Aspharr. "Now play nice. Rin, where is your papa?" "In the kitchen Uncle Vladimir." "Thank you." Rin looked hopefully towards Kai while he tried to distract his mind from the sleeping baby next to him. Claude kept his eyes on Kai for safety.

Some odd hours went by after sergeant Valkov managed to suck some truth out of Kai. Ray now understood the situation, making sure to monitor how long Kai was exposed to Aspharr for and his reactions. Kai couldn't stand being near the baby for long, vacating the room after around half an hour at the least. Rin had fallen asleep in her seat so Aspharr was set back into his basket. Claude was very impressed with Rin's progress. She'd almost mastered feeding and winding her little brother. Ray wondered how long it would take the boys to ask about Shelinda, Odin and Zeus. "Mr. Ray?" "What is it Claude?" "Well it's just that we've neglected to ask how S-" Ray silenced Claude before he could complete his sentence, looking at Rin when she shuffled next to him. Claude and Aaron knew something was wrong when the raven haired girl was carried out of the room. Brooklyn seemed to be in mild emotional turmoil. "Mr. Brooke?" "She's gone, Claude. Shelinda passed away a few years ago after contracting a virus. Odin and Zeus have left us, too. I can still remember how heartbroken we all were. Yes, that includes Kai." "I…can imagine he didn't take well to losing Zeus." "No. No he didn't. For Ray, Odin's death was the most painful time of his life after losing his uncle. Come on, they're buried out back." "What about the ponies?" "Well Aaron only a couple are still alive. The dapple grey filly Kai fell in love with is on her last legs now. It'll destroy him when she dies." Claude and Aaron followed Brooklyn silently as they walked towards the back door. They were immediately hit with pain as Shelinda's grave sat at their feet, her spirit radiating from the stone reaching out to comfort the once traumatized boys. Ray watched from the door, shedding his own tears of sorrow, feeling an ethereal presence beside him. 'I know old boy. You're still here in spirit.'

Claude and Aaron spent no more than five minutes paying their respects to the horses that had helped them over their fears. They met Shelinda and Odin's children and grandchildren. Thowra was still going strong, soon to be a father again to his fifth heir. Odin's offspring were a chestnut stallion called Thor and a black pinto colt called Loki. Shelinda had sired a mare named Venus whose coat was pristine white. Brooklyn was left worried when Claude stepped away to answer a call. He returned looking stronger than ever. "Claude?" "We've gotta go now, Mr. Brooke. Supper is almost ready and if we're late Mathilda will paint our backsides red. Miguel says he'll visit soon but I can't say when." "Well you boys take care and come back soon. Rin's grown quite fond of you already. Just be mindful Kai doesn't try to kill you." "Don't worry we'll be careful." Claude and Aaron weren't getting away un-hugged as Ray stood by the front door waiting to ambush them for a cuddle. Aspharr managed to get some attention before Claude and Aaron left the building. "Speaking of supper, we'd better make a start on ours, Ray." "Yeah." "Don't worry, they'll be back. Come on, we'll make your favourite tonight. How does that sound?" Ray responded by catching Brooklyn in his arms tightly, releasing whatever pain was left in him. They parted just as Rin trudged in looking groggy. "Where'd Claude and Aaron go?" "Home, sweetie. They'll come and visit again I'm sure. We were just about to make a start on supper." "Kay." Was Rin's only reply, dropping on the nearest seat. After supper Ray managed to convince Kai to spend time with the family. They spent the night just watching movies and drinking tea. Kai was the first in bed, mentally and emotionally exhausted. Ray secretly watched him sleep for a while, about ten minutes before going to bed himself.

Kai's dreams were once again haunted by memories. Instead of relieving the night he lost his mother, the memory of his little brother came through strong. Understandably Kai remembered very little about the child he'd called brother sixteen years ago. It was a miracle he remembered Kou at all considering how young he was. Not many people retained memories from being a toddler. Or was there a spirit trying to get through to Kai by showing him things they had seen from the veil? The dream didn't last long, ending with Kai's mother telling him Kou had died. It was less painful than watching his mother be killed but painful nonetheless. Instead of going to the bathroom, Kai went down to the kitchen, finding a light on. Inside he spotted Ray with a cup of warm milk. "Help yourself. I figured you'd come down eventually. You were tossing and turning in your sleep quite violently tonight. Usually I don't hear you." "So why is tonight different?" "Truth be told, I can't sleep either. Sergeant Valkov suspects that Kou could be alive. I'm not saying I'll try to find him. I already stuck my foot in that one." "You…meant well saying that thirteen years ago. It's not your fault. You don't know what that monster did to her." "You wanna talk about it? I won't force you to." "If it'll help." With a glass of milk in hand, Kai sat at the table and outlined his "dreams" for Ray as best he could. Ray noticed Kai only spoke of two memories. "Are those the only ones?" "I wasn't with my father when he died. In truth, I should have no memory of Kou." "You're not wrong. Maybe there's a higher power at work here. Now we should both try to get some sleep." Ray had one foot out the kitchen door when he heard a whisper, turning to see Kai with his head low. "Kai?" "I'll try. I can't promise or nothing but I'll try to be a good brother to Aspharr." "I know you will."

* * *

Is Kai's brother alive? Or did he really die to a virus like Kai was told? Are these memories his or do they belong to a spirit trying to communicate?

I do apologise if I got the term wrong but I have forgotten what they call memory loss due to trauma (Other than amnesia which this is not.) If somebody goes through a traumatic experience their brain locks the memory of it away so they never have to deal with it again.

Stay tuned for chapter eight. I'll hopefully have it up within a few days of this one


	8. Miracles

Before you guys continue to read, I neglected to mention that from chapter six, the story is set in 2015. I might have another time skip or two in the future for reasons you'll find out eventually.

ALSO! Rin's poodle Pippin is NOT named after the character from Lord of the Rings. My great nan used to have a black poodle called Pippin, both are sadly no longer with us. I think Pip was a mini poodle but I prefer big poodles. So Rin's dog is a tribute to little Pippin.

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8

Miracles

As the days went by Kai's mental state improved and his behaviour towards Aspharr was getting better. Claude visited every other day with Aaron, making fast friends with Rin but Kai mostly kept to himself. Two weeks later Kai was completely at ease with Aspharr near him but still refused to hold the boy more for fear of hurting him. Claude made a serious offer of helping him learn but that just got him shot with a toy gun, the bullet being a suction pad arrow. Rin laughed so hard she'd fallen out of her seat. Aaron was more horrified than amused; fearing what could've happened if Kai had fired a real gun at Claude considering he was hit in the head. It was so far a peaceful day at the ranch. The weather wasn't great so everyone was inside with it being a weekend. For no particular reason, Ray wondered why Kai had never invited his friends over. The boys knew that Kai lived with a gay couple and Brooklyn always behaved when they had company. "Say, Kai." "Hn." "I just realized that you never invite your guy friends over. How come?" "You do realise how far from town we are right?" "A ten minute drive so what's your point again? The last time Yuriy came over was several years ago. Or are you afraid we'll embarrass you?" Kai avoided the question, his nose deep in a fantasy novel about mythical creatures. Nobody could fathom why Kai was obsessed with Phoenixes. Ray believed the bird's legend was what kept him going. He watched with great amusement as Rin took Kai's book away and sat on his lap, leaving him blinking as he tried to wrap his head around what just happened.

Just to satisfy Ray, Kai invited the boys over for a few hours but they wouldn't be able to get there for a couple of days. By the next weekend Kai received confirmation that his band buddies were on their way. They arrived just after midday looking as rebellious as always. Kai said nothing as he let the group in. "Did you guys redecorate the place?" "Well Yuriy it has been about six years since you last visited. We tend to repaint the place every two to three years." Yuriy looked to Ray with no amount of happiness. Just like Kai these boys were mostly stone faced unless you counted Ian, the midget who liked to prank people and Bryan could be slightly maniacal. This was the hidden reason why Kai never invited his friends over. That and Ian had a humongous crush on Rin despite her age. "Well boys have a seat, we won't bite ya butts off." Kai groaned in agony. He wasn't going to enjoy his friends visiting one little bit if Brooklyn was going to keep cracking comments like that. Kai left the room momentarily, passing by Rin as he went towards the stairs. The young raven haired girl was more than a little surprised to see Kai's friends all squished onto one sofa. "Hey guys. I see Kai finally invited you all over." The boys just nodded but Rin noticed something strangely familiar about the eldest who sat beside Yuriy, signalling for the giant blonde to follow her. He pointed at himself to double check it was him she wanted before following Rin outside and to the stables. "'Sup kid?" "I don't mean to be a bother but could you move these big bails of hay? My parents have been running themselves ragged all week and Kai's always too tired after university to help. Or he just plain ignores my plight." "Sure thing. What do you use to move the bails?" Rin held out two hooks with a smile. "We use these. It's…Spencer isn't it?" "Sergei." "Sorry." "No problem. Now where do you want them?"

Sergei had no trouble lifting the rolls of hay with all his muscle, unaware that Rin had gotten him out of the house for another reason. His behaviour around Yuriy was suspicious but Rin recognised it straight away. "You don't have to hide it y'know?" "I don't know what you're talking about little girl. I'm not hiding anything." With a grunt of mild effort Sergei moved another bail. "You can't fool me, Sergei. Y'see. I know a gay guy when I see one." This time Sergei snapped around, his blue eyes wide. Rin knew she'd hit a nerve but Sergei did not appear to be the violent type. "Why so surprised? My parents are both male and by now I know all their little tricks. They look at each others backsides when they think I'm not looking. And you were looking right at Yuriy's tooshie. So come on, out with it. You're not getting out of this stable until you admit I'm right." What a fine predicament Sergei had gotten himself into. There was no fooling this girl, of that he was now certain. "Fine. Then what's Yuriy's little tell if you're so knowledgeable." "I watched him at the concert after it ended. He always stands close to you in particular. And when he believes nobody is watching your trousers receive a little tug." If possible, Sergei's pale face went a shade lighter. Just how observant was this girl? "Let's see, you're not virgins for a start. You like Yuriy to be the dominant one in…" "Enough. Jesus what the hell did they teach you? And you shouldn't know what virginity is at your age!" "Yeah well blame my Grandma. Plus us girls go through a thing called sex education so whether my dad and papa like it or not, I already know what Kai gets up to when he's with Syldra. So yeah. I'm not so innocent now am I? Look, don't be afraid to show your relationship here. We won't judge you. I used to resent both my parents for who they are. But now I respect them for their strength."

Kai's arrival halted the conversation immediately. He seemed quite annoyed at finding Sergei with hooks in his hands and Rin sitting on a stool nearby. "Rin what's going on? Sergei isn't here to be your bloody slave." "Well you won't move these bails and they don't have legs to walk with. And I'm too skinny to lift something so heavy. C'mon Sergei. You can sit down now." Said adult was dragged back into the house by his wrist leaving Kai all the more concerned. 'What the hell is she doing to my friends?' Kai got his answer in the least expected form. By the time he returned to the living room, Yuriy was sitting on Sergei's lap, his face as red as a tomato, while the broader male snuggled him from behind. Rin had a very triumphant look on her face too and Kai didn't like it. "Honestly Kai are you that blind? Surely you saw the signs too?" Kai didn't get any words out, landing with quite a thud as he fell backwards. Ray came running when he heard the bang, finding Kai flat on his back. He would've asked Rin what happened if he didn't see Sergei and Yuriy first, sighing with hands on his hips. "I might've known you two were a pair. Rin, I trust this is your doing?" "Why papa, I don't know what you're talking about." Ray wasn't fooled. He knew Rin had convinced one of the two to open up about their relationship. Bryan and Ian just looked on in horror. "Now fellas, let's not be judgmental. They're your friends whether they bone girls or not. You'll get used to it eventually. Kai did." Ray kicked said drama Queen in the leg and he woke up from his shocked slumber. "I must be dreaming. For a moment there I thought Yuriy was gay." "He is." Seeing Yuriy and Sergei all cosied up sent Kai back into the black abyss of fainting. Rin rolled her eyes as she sipped at her tea. "Drama Queen. Papa, undo his belt." "Rin! That would be embarrassing!" "He did it to you when I was five."

Time dragged by after Rin convinced Sergei to be more open about his sexuality. Kai had somewhat recovered from the shock but for the time being, he wouldn't even look at Yuriy or Sergei. Rin had told him numerous times to stop being so melodramatic about the situation and should instead be happy for his friends who had found love. Bryan and Ian were now at peace with the idea, joking about taking Yuriy to a gay bar for his next birthday making the blue eyed Russian blush as red as his hair. Soon it was almost time for the boys to leave. Yuriy and Sergei wanted to have words with Rin, finding her in the kitchen washing up. "Hey Rin. You got a sec?" "Sure…yah!" "It's all right. We won't bite. Yuriy and I just wanted to thank you. If not for you neither of us would have the courage to…well to be who we are around other people." "Just break it to your parents gently. They're bound to be surprised. Oh hey! Before I go and forget, these are for you guys. There's one bag for each band member." From the fridge Rin collected four white bags, leaving one inside. Sergei and Yuriy exchanged nervous glances with each other. "Don't look so worried. They're just cookies." "Did…you make these?" "Papa helped me make them, Yuriy, so they turned out fine. You all like choc chip right?" "Yeah. We'd best not let Ian eat too many at once." "They're sugar free too. And fat free. You have no idea how strict my dad is." "Well he was pregnant so having sugar and fat free foods is understandable. We'd better get going anyway. Kai's eager for us to go." "He'll come around I promise. You take care and come visit again soon." To Rin's surprise she received a hug from both Sergei and Yuriy. "If these cookies are good you can be sure Ian will be back. Look after Kai for us, kid. He's not been himself this year." "I will Sergei. Yuriy and Sergei didn't waste another second as Bryan was getting very impatient.

Another few days passed by after Kai's friends visited. Sergeant Valkov had stopped by to see how Kai was getting on, glad to see him accepting Aspharr. About a week later on Thursday Ray received a surprise phone call from sergeant Valkov. It was Kai's day off and he was currently out in the stable with his beloved grey Shetland pony. "What's up sergeant?" **"Ray, I need Kai at the hospital as soon as possible, preferably with support." **"What's going on? Is he sick?" **"No it's nothing like that. Please trust me. Nothing is wrong with Kai's health. I…I have a surprise for him." **Ray had no chance to ask sergeant Valkov what the hell was going on as the line went dead. "Ray? What's up?" "I dunno. Sergeant Valkov is behaving weird. He wants Kai to go to the hospital. Says he's got a surprise for him." No sooner had Ray said that, he caught on. Had the search been fruitful? Ray wasn't sure but he could hope, running as fast as his legs could carry him to the stables. He found Kai all cosied up with the Shetland mare in her stall. Kai wasn't entirely sure he liked the look of urgency on Ray's face. "What's going on?" "Kai, sergeant Valkov has requested your presence at the hospital. He didn't say why other than that he has a surprise for you. Get yourself changed and we'll go. He advised you have somebody with you for support." Kai too was confused by the sudden call but went to his room to change into some smarter clothes anyway, returning in black jeans, a tight red tank top, black denim jacket, black leather gloves, dark purple sneakers and a white scarf wrapped around his neck. "No buts, we're taking my car, Kai." "Fine. I just want to get back to Divya as soon as." Ray understood Kai's wish to spend more time with the mare, knowing she could die any day now. With Kai in the front passenger seat, Ray set the car into first gear.

Tension ate away at Ray's sanity until he had none left by the time they reached the hospital. Paying the parking fee Ray and Kai went inside, finding sergeant Valkov immediately, his eyes mildly bloodshot. Ray opened his mouth to speak but sergeant Valkov turned on his heel and walked down the corridor. Ray and Kai followed him until he stopped outside a door in the coma unit. "Sergeant what on Earth is going on?" "You'll find out if you go inside." Ray exchanged a nervous glance with Kai before he pushed the door open. Inside the hospital bed was a brown haired woman no older than Ray. There didn't appear to be any life support provided. Stepping inside, Ray felt like he knew this woman, snapped out of his thoughts by Kai who ran to the bed and grasped one of the woman's pale hands, his eyes misting with tears. "Sergeant…is that?" "Yes. I'm sorry for not being honest with you but…" "No it's fine. How'd you find her?" "I've been a fool for thirteen years. I'd searched the world over for a Mrs. Hiromi Hiwatari instead of Hiromi Tachibana." 'Tachibana?' The name was familiar to Ray but he couldn't think where he'd heard it. It all came back to him when he approached the bed, Hiromi's face bringing old memories forth. Ray knew her in university. Brooklyn did too. Then one day she up and disappeared without so much as a goodbye. Ray had spent countless nights awake worrying for his friend, wondering why she'd left town without saying anything. Was she sparing them the pain of goodbye? Or was Konstantin Hiwatari forcing her to leave unbidden? "Hiromi." The name came out as nothing more than a whisper as Ray sat himself on the edge of the bed. Kai was off in his own world, mumbling in Russian but Ray picked out the occasional whimper of matia. "For years I wondered where'd you'd run off to. Now here you are."

Ray gently took Hiromi's spare hand, feeling its warmth. She appeared to be breathing fine but Ray panicked when he finally noticed Hiromi was not on life support. "The hell?" "Ray?" "Hiromi's still breathing so why isn't she strapped up to all the life support stuff?" "Who the hell are you people?! Get out!" All eyes turned to the door where a black haired black eyed man stood. Kai recognised him from his dreams and the stranger soon identified Kai. "No it can't be…You're supposed to be dead!" "I see you read the paper, Noctis Tachibana." The man now named Noctis turned to sergeant Valkov, his eyes wide. Sergeant Valkov wasted no time with pleasantries, slamming Noctis into the nearest wall, disregarding the man's broken left arm. "We spread that lie to keep Kai safe from Voltaire." "How the hell did you find my sister? I made damn sure nobody could track her!" "First explain to us how she's not on life support! Hiromi is still breathing you fool!" Noctis wasn't believing a word sergeant Valkov said, feeling for a pulse in Hiromi's wrist and he found one. "Impossible. She's been off life support for an hour now." "You tried to kill her?!" "You have no idea what it's been like!" Kai was the target of Noctis's aggression, eyes on fire. "For thirteen years I've watched helplessly as my sister laid unresponsive in this endless damn sleep! I waited, and waited for Hiromi to wake up! She hasn't even so much as smiled! Last week I finally made the decision to pull the plug, to end her suffering." "Maybe she won't smile because her sons were torn from her. Sergeant, get a doctor in here now." Noctis growled loudly, grabbing Ray by the collar of his shirt. "Who the hell do you think you are?" "One of Hiromi's old friends. I remember you now, Noctis. You always caused trouble for your sister at every turn. I'd hoped when Hiromi vanished she'd left you behind you ungrateful swine."

Noctis raised his fist to strike Ray but found himself half way across the room, Kai's arm outstretched with a balled fist. Nobody had seen or heard Kai move. It wasn't hard to see the clear anger in Kai's eyes. "Keep your hands off of my batia. You're no uncle of mine. I waited years for you to find me, to take me home. But you never came. Did you even bother to try searching for me?!" Noctis stumbled to his feet, cheek now very swollen. "I searched all right. I scoured Japan from top to flipping bottom. I'd arrived here in time for the latest edition of the paper. Voltaire had found you. I failed to keep you safe. Then I read that you had died during a rescue attempt led by this twat and a ginger haired git." Ray had remained quiet during the argument but Noctis had just crossed the line. "What did you just say about Brooklyn? I dare you to repeat that to my face." And dare Noctis did. He repeated the insult directly in Ray's face. Ray's foot came up faster than anyone could blink and Noctis fell to the floor in a crumpled heap. "That's my husband you're insulting you devil eyed prat. I'll have you know Brooklyn rescued Kai twice from Voltaire's clutches. The first time Voltaire had me shot. Brooklyn also found Kai unconscious near a river much later after your boat was destroyed. We don't know how he survived two accidents out at sea. Sergeant, remove Noctis before I do." "With pleasure. I want a nice quiet word with him anyway. I'll send a doctor straight away and have Hiromi put back on life support." Once sergeant Valkov and Noctis were gone, Ray turned to Kai with proud, teary eyes. "I can't remember the last time you called me batia. Why'd you stop?" "I guess…after a while I stopped seeing you as my father. Even though I couldn't remember the one who created me." "Konstantin may have died, Kai. But he's always been with you in here."

Kai flinched a little when Ray gently placed a hand over his heart. A doctor came into the room, ruining the moment. He checked Hiromi's pulse and her heart beat before hooking the life support back up. "How on Earth has this poor girl survived?" "Doctor, might I ask something?" "Ah, Mr. Kon. I haven't seen you in a while. I cannot answer any questions until I know your relationship with Ms. Tachibana." "Well doctor this fine young man is her son, and my adoptive son. We'd like some answers on how she fell into a coma." "I regret to say there is still a bullet in her brain that we cannot remove. Doing so would kill her for sure. Noctis made the decision he believed to be right. But Hiromi refuses to stop fighting. I'll give you both some privacy." "Thank you doctor." With the man gone, Kai and Ray returned to the bed, taking a hand each. "Hiromi. Hiromi can you hear me? Squeeze my hand if you can hear me." Kai watched anxiously as his mother's hand tightened around Ray's. At least she was responsive. "You probably don't even remember who I am, do you? It's been over nineteen years since we last spoke. We went to university together, me, you and Brooklyn. I just want you to know that your son found his way to us and we've taken good care of him. He's a big boy now, turning nineteen this August. Do you remember what he looks like? He's got your eyes, Hiromi. Had I known Kai was your son I would've tried harder to find you. Kai's here now. Can you feel him holding your hand?" Kai's heart raced as he watched and felt his hand being held in return, tears breaking free. "Matia. You…you knew her?" "Yes. Back when I was studying to become a therapist. I think Hiromi was studying fashion. The three of us would always go out together at weekends, watch a movie or go to the bar. I wasn't always a sensible adult y'know."

A barely audible gasp grabbed Ray's attention. Turning around he saw a girl in the doorway, a vase of flowers in her hands. She had dual coloured ginger/brown hair and peridot green eyes. "How unusual for Hiromi to have visitors. Who are you?" Kai seemed uneasy around this woman so Ray took it upon himself to explain. "I'm Ray Kon and this is Hiromi's son, Kai." "That can't be possible. Both of Hiromi's boys died." Ray shook his head, being careful to keep his voice level. "I can assure you I'm not lying. We had the tabloids spread word that Kai was killed during a rescue attempt to throw Voltaire off his trail. Did Hiromi ever send you any pictures of her kids?" "Why should I tell you?" "Because I adopted her son. And on top of that I went to university with her and was a good friend of hers." "Oh my god! You must be THAT Ray! I'm so sorry! Hiromi never talked much about her guy friends. But you and Brooklyn were two of the only boys she liked. Even considered asking one of you out." "I'm glad she didn't. Not because neither of us would love her but…" "Because you're gay, right?" Ray's face paled. How did this woman know he was gay? "Hiromi suspected something was going on between you and Brooklyn. Where have my manners gone? I'm Julia. Hiromi didn't tell you did she? That she was leaving with another man?" "You knew my father?!" Kai almost jumped out of the chair he sat on as Julia set the flowers down on a table. "Not very well. I met him the day Hiromi left. He had a friend with him. Some buff guy with red hair and blue eyes." Right at that moment sergeant Valkov returned looking a little beaten but triumphant. "Ah! That's him! He's the one that was with Konstantin!" "Sergeant Valkov? You never told me you came here before chasing Kai." "Honestly it was so long ago I simply forgot. Should I know this woman?"

"She's one of Hiromi's friends. Julia, this is sergeant Valkov. He helped us to get Kai away from Voltaire." Julia just nodded, feeling all shy. It was no surprise really. Sergeant Valkov, despite being in his forties, was a handsome man and still quite muscular. He picked right up on Julia's attraction, vacating the room immediately. "Did Uncle Vladimir seriously just turn tail and run from a woman?" "Well Kai last time I tried to get him a date he confessed to having no desire for finding another lover. Sorry Julia but that's a fish you'll never catch." Said woman looked bummed out, her eyes primarily on Kai making him quite nervous. "You look so much like your father. He was a strong man but other than that I knew nothing about him. Except that he was older than Hiromi by about four years. Did Hiromi never contact you, Ray?" Questioned man shook his head, moving a stray strand of hair out of Hiromi's face. "Then I guess she didn't want to upset you. Hiromi wrote to me every month, telling me how different Russia was, about the blizzards, the strange new culture. To my knowledge she loved it there. None of her letters ever mentioned this Voltaire you speak of. Who is he?" "He's Kai's grandfather. As far as we know, his only living one." "Hiromi's dad died a few years back. Her mom died when she was very young." "I remember her saying that. I'd caught her crying one day and couldn't understand why. I thought Brooklyn had done something." Julia shifted her weight from foot to foot, a sign she needed to sit down so Kai offered her the chair and she nervously accepted the offer. "So you wanted to know if Hiromi sent me photos of her children? Hiromi was an avid memory preserver. Whenever there was something she never wanted to forget, Hiromi would have a picture taken. Sometimes the pictures were just of her and Konstantin. But not all of them."

Kai tensed as Julia dug around in her bag, pulling out a small photo book. Did she truly have baby pictures of him? Of Kou? He paced a little until Julia summoned him and Ray a little closer. In front of them was a fairly old picture. In it Ray could see Hiromi, a man with amethyst eyes and Kai's hair and a little blue bundle in Hiromi's arms. "She had this picture taken a month or so after you were born, Kai. I didn't even know she was pregnant. Hiromi was so proud when you came along though she admitted to wanting a girl." Looking closer, Kai recognised the picture, pulling out his wallet. He always kept the single picture he had of his parents in there. Putting them next to each other the pictures were identical, except Julia's was not damaged. "Julia, did Hiromi send you a photo of her other son?" "Let me see. I don't think she did. Hiromi wrote to me about Kou just after he was born sixteen years ago then some months later saying he'd died to a virus." "She told sergeant Valkov he'd gone missing. He suspects that Noctis had something to do with Kou's disappearance. And so do I." Sadly Julia could find no pictures of Kou in her book, closing it feeling disappointed. "No, sorry. But in return for not sending a picture, Hiromi wrote a very detailed letter about Kou. I can't remember what was in it though. Here Kai." Julia held out the book for him to take. "You need this more than I do. Your mom is in almost every picture. You as well." "T-Thank you. But are you sure?" "Very. You've been in the dark for thirteen years about what your mom was like. It's time your eyes were opened. I've gotta go but I'll try and find the letters Hiromi sent to me. I've got no use for them anymore." Ray left Kai to mull things over, seeing Julia to the door and gave her his contact details and address. He returned to find Kai staring at the first picture they'd seen. 'Kai. We'll find him. I promise.'

Ray and Kai returned home to give Brooklyn and Rin the news. Surprisingly they found sergeant Valkov there with Yuriy. Ray wondered if sergeant Valkov knew his son was gay or if that's why he'd appeared. Kai was dragged into Brooklyn's arms the second he stepped in the door. "Sergeant Valkov told us everything, Kai. I'm so happy for you. After thirteen years you finally saw your mom again." Kai knew he should be happy but knowing his mother would never see his face again left a massive wound. Brooklyn worried when Kai vanished from sight, thinking he'd done something wrong. "It's not your fault, love." "But I thought…" "She's alive, Brooklyn. But Hiromi cannot see him." "That name rings a bell. It can't be…" Ray nodded, confirming Brooklyn's suspicion. "It is. Kai's mom is our old friend who went missing. Well, to us she did. But to one of Hiromi's girl friends, she was living a nice life until Voltaire butted his nose in. They had monthly contact but I don't know when that stopped. Julia said she'd search for the letters and let us have them. If Kai will relinquish it, I'll show you the album Julia compiled with all the pictures she was sent." "But why'd Hiromi leave without saying goodbye?" "She didn't want to hurt us. Hiromi left Japan with Konstantin and sergeant Valkov here. Let's give Kai some space, righto? He's got a lot to think about." Brooklyn nodded in agreement, sending Rin to make Ray a drink. With Kai out of earshot, sergeant Valkov explained that he would do his best to find Kou. And Noctis wasn't getting off easy. He knew where the boy was, he had to. Ray hadn't been home an hour when Julia came knocking, an A4 sized box in her arms. She took the time to meet Brooklyn, Rin, Aspharr and Yuriy but wasn't able to stay. Kai laid away in the dark of night, wondering if there truly was no way to remove the bullet in Hiromi's head.

Soon Aspharr was six weeks old and finally able to see everyone and everything around him. Kai felt quite uncomfortable whenever Aspharr looked in his direction. He'd asked Ian to search around for ways to remove a bullet from brain tissue with minimal risk but so far the trail was cold. Sergeant Valkov had called out over the internet and world-wide television to find Kou, having generated several possibilities of what the boy could look like. Thankfully Kai didn't care to watch TV or he'd of seen the advert at least one hundred times and he never really bothered with social internet media. Julia was an occasional visitor to the ranch with her brother, Raul. Like Julia his hair was dual coloured, the front red. March rolled in with no sign of Kou. Noctis had been of little help and sergeant Valkov had used every dirty trick he could think of. Kai was about ready to give up on finding a cure for his mother when Ian delivered good news. He'd found a surgeon who might have to technology required to remove the bullet without killing Hiromi in the process. It wouldn't be cheap, but Kai had saved up a lot of money. Plus winning the occasional race brought in a fair amount of cash. Kai and Ian met with the surgeon and a date was arranged once the man had half of the surgery cost. He'd get the rest after performing the operation…if it was successful. Once home, Kai wondered if he'd done the right thing. For a few nights he had nightmares of losing his mother not long after finally finding her.

At the end of March the operation was to be performed. Despite having no desire to see his mother's head cut open, Kai wanted to be there, to hold her hand and the brown haired surgeon gave him the all clear to do so. Kai lost count of how many hours went by when the bullet was confirmed removed. There was no guarantee Hiromi would wake up but it didn't stop Kai from hoping for another miracle.

It had been several days since the operation. Hiromi had shown no signs of waking but her vitals were stronger than ever. Ray and Brooklyn took the risk of leaving Kai alone with Aspharr so they could have some quality time together and Rin was out with friends. Claude and Aaron weren't due to visit for another day or so. Kai's first proper time babysitting went well for a couple of hours until Aspharr started to stir for his late afternoon feed. Hearing some quiet pleasurable moaning from upstairs didn't help Kai's situation as he sat frustrated with a big boner in his trousers. Heaving a very agitated sigh, Kai vacated the sofa and walked over to the Moses basket, finding Aspharr squirming inside. Kai had never held a baby before so he was at a loss of what to do. He had little memory of interacting with Rin at Aspharr's age. While Aspharr wailed away Kai made several attempts to get his hand close but each time it got near Aspharr would flail wildly and Kai recoiled. If this was how babies behaved, Kai did not want to have any. Syldra could plead all she liked but he vowed not to yield. Kai found success in touching Aspharr after what seemed like an eternity and he slowly calmed down. Kai ran his fingers gently over the baby's stomach making him giggle. Next came the task of taking the boy out of the basket. Just like Rin, Kai had observed how Ray and Brooklyn handled Aspharr. Kai told himself it was just like touching Syldra's arms, being careful not to apply too much pressure when clasping his large hands around Aspharr's ribs. Locating the bottle, Kai returned to his seat and set Aspharr on his lap to feed him.

At the precinct, not much was happening. The receptionist had just finished a phone call when a charming young man approached the counter. His hair was dual coloured brown, eyes Ruby red. "Can I help you?" "Y-Yes I'm here in response to sergeant Valkov's petition."

* * *

YAY! Kai found his mom! I'd been stuck for a while trying to figure out what to do with Hilary/Hiromi and then I had the idea I've never seen anybody use...making her Kai's mom.

Who is this dashing boy? How strong will Kai's bond with Aspharr grow?

I regret to say I'm taking a brief break from this fic to let a friend catch up. I have a plan that i'd like their help with. It's not really something I've done before and their opinion on it means a lot to me (If you're reading this, you know who I mean ;) )


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